#include "parse-options.h"
 
 static const char * const git_symbolic_ref_usage[] = {
-       "git-symbolic-ref [options] name [ref]",
+       "git symbolic-ref [options] name [ref]",
        NULL
 };
 
                check_symref(argv[0], quiet);
                break;
        case 2:
+               if (!strcmp(argv[0], "HEAD") &&
+                   prefixcmp(argv[1], "refs/"))
+                       die("Refusing to point HEAD outside of refs/");
                create_symref(argv[0], argv[1], msg);
                break;
        default: