diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 965b232a06..3459d0e4e5 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1222,6 +1222,7 @@ void ref_transaction_free(struct ref_transaction *transaction)
 		free(transaction->updates[i]->committer_info);
 		free((char *)transaction->updates[i]->new_target);
 		free((char *)transaction->updates[i]->old_target);
+		free((char *)transaction->updates[i]->rejection_details);
 		free(transaction->updates[i]);
 	}
 
@@ -1236,7 +1237,8 @@ void ref_transaction_free(struct ref_transaction *transaction)
 
 int ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				       size_t update_idx,
-				       enum ref_transaction_error err)
+				       enum ref_transaction_error err,
+				       struct strbuf *details)
 {
 	if (update_idx >= transaction->nr)
 		BUG("trying to set rejection on invalid update index");
@@ -1262,6 +1264,7 @@ int ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 			   transaction->updates[update_idx]->refname, 0);
 
 	transaction->updates[update_idx]->rejection_err = err;
+	transaction->updates[update_idx]->rejection_details = strbuf_detach(details, NULL);
 	ALLOC_GROW(transaction->rejections->update_indices,
 		   transaction->rejections->nr + 1,
 		   transaction->rejections->alloc);
@@ -2657,30 +2660,33 @@ enum ref_transaction_error refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs
 			if (!initial_transaction &&
 			    (strset_contains(&conflicting_dirnames, dirname.buf) ||
 			     !refs_read_raw_ref(refs, dirname.buf, &oid, &referent,
-						       &type, &ignore_errno))) {
-				if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
-					    transaction, *update_idx,
-					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT)) {
-					strset_remove(&dirnames, dirname.buf);
-					strset_add(&conflicting_dirnames, dirname.buf);
-					continue;
-				}
+						&type, &ignore_errno))) {
 
 				strbuf_addf(err, _("'%s' exists; cannot create '%s'"),
 					    dirname.buf, refname);
+
+				if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
+					    transaction, *update_idx,
+					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT, err)) {
+					strset_remove(&dirnames, dirname.buf);
+					strset_add(&conflicting_dirnames, dirname.buf);
+					goto next_ref;
+				}
+
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 
 			if (extras && string_list_has_string(extras, dirname.buf)) {
-				if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
-					    transaction, *update_idx,
-					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT)) {
-					strset_remove(&dirnames, dirname.buf);
-					continue;
-				}
-
 				strbuf_addf(err, _("cannot process '%s' and '%s' at the same time"),
 					    refname, dirname.buf);
+
+				if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
+					    transaction, *update_idx,
+					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT, err)) {
+					strset_remove(&dirnames, dirname.buf);
+					goto next_ref;
+				}
+
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 		}
@@ -2710,14 +2716,14 @@ enum ref_transaction_error refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs
 				if (skip &&
 				    string_list_has_string(skip, iter->ref.name))
 					continue;
+				strbuf_addf(err, _("'%s' exists; cannot create '%s'"),
+					    iter->ref.name, refname);
 
 				if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
 					    transaction, *update_idx,
-					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT))
-					continue;
+					    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT, err))
+					goto next_ref;
 
-				strbuf_addf(err, _("'%s' exists; cannot create '%s'"),
-					    iter->ref.name, refname);
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 
@@ -2727,15 +2733,17 @@ enum ref_transaction_error refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs
 
 		extra_refname = find_descendant_ref(dirname.buf, extras, skip);
 		if (extra_refname) {
-			if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
-				    transaction, *update_idx,
-				    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT))
-				continue;
-
 			strbuf_addf(err, _("cannot process '%s' and '%s' at the same time"),
 				    refname, extra_refname);
+
+			if (transaction && ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(
+				    transaction, *update_idx,
+				    REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NAME_CONFLICT, err))
+				goto next_ref;
+
 			goto cleanup;
 		}
+next_ref:;
 	}
 
 	ret = 0;
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 6f6f76a8d8..6790d8bf53 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -2983,10 +2983,9 @@ static int files_transaction_prepare(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 					  head_ref, &refnames_to_check,
 					  err);
 		if (ret) {
-			if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i, ret)) {
-				strbuf_reset(err);
+			if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i,
+							       ret, err)) {
 				ret = 0;
-
 				continue;
 			}
 			goto cleanup;
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 4ea0c12299..59b3ecb9d6 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1437,8 +1437,8 @@ static enum ref_transaction_error write_with_updates(struct packed_ref_store *re
 						    update->refname);
 					ret = REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_CREATE_EXISTS;
 
-					if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i, ret)) {
-						strbuf_reset(err);
+					if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i,
+									       ret, err)) {
 						ret = 0;
 						continue;
 					}
@@ -1452,8 +1452,8 @@ static enum ref_transaction_error write_with_updates(struct packed_ref_store *re
 						    oid_to_hex(&update->old_oid));
 					ret = REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INCORRECT_OLD_VALUE;
 
-					if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i, ret)) {
-						strbuf_reset(err);
+					if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i,
+									       ret, err)) {
 						ret = 0;
 						continue;
 					}
@@ -1496,8 +1496,8 @@ static enum ref_transaction_error write_with_updates(struct packed_ref_store *re
 					    oid_to_hex(&update->old_oid));
 				ret = REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_NONEXISTENT_REF;
 
-				if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i, ret)) {
-					strbuf_reset(err);
+				if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i,
+								       ret, err)) {
 					ret = 0;
 					continue;
 				}
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index c7d2a6e50b..191a25683f 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ struct ref_update {
 	 * was rejected.
 	 */
 	enum ref_transaction_error rejection_err;
+	const char *rejection_details;
 
 	/*
 	 * If this ref_update was split off of a symref update via
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@ int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
  */
 int ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				       size_t update_idx,
-				       enum ref_transaction_error err);
+				       enum ref_transaction_error err,
+				       struct strbuf *details);
 
 /*
  * Add a ref_update with the specified properties to transaction, and
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 4319a4eacb..0e2648e36c 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -1401,10 +1401,9 @@ static int reftable_be_transaction_prepare(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 					    &refnames_to_check, head_type,
 					    &head_referent, &referent, err);
 		if (ret) {
-			if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i, ret)) {
-				strbuf_reset(err);
+			if (ref_transaction_maybe_set_rejected(transaction, i,
+							       ret, err)) {
 				ret = 0;
-
 				continue;
 			}
 			goto done;