SYNOPSIS
 --------
-'git-send-pack' [--all] [--force] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--verbose] [--thin] [<host>:]<directory> [<ref>...]
+'git-send-pack' [--all] [--dry-run] [--force] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--verbose] [--thin] [<host>:]<directory> [<ref>...]
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
        Instead of explicitly specifying which refs to update,
        update all heads that locally exist.
 
+\--dry-run::
+       Do everything except actually send the updates.
+
 \--force::
        Usually, the command refuses to update a remote ref that
        is not an ancestor of the local ref used to overwrite it.
 
 #include "remote.h"
 
 static const char send_pack_usage[] =
-"git-send-pack [--all] [--force] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--verbose] [--thin] [<host>:]<directory> [<ref>...]\n"
+"git-send-pack [--all] [--dry-run] [--force] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--verbose] [--thin] [<host>:]<directory> [<ref>...]\n"
 "  --all and explicit <ref> specification are mutually exclusive.";
 static const char *receivepack = "git-receive-pack";
 static int verbose;
 static int send_all;
 static int force_update;
 static int use_thin_pack;
+static int dry_run;
 
 /*
  * Make a pack stream and spit it out into file descriptor fd
                strcpy(old_hex, sha1_to_hex(ref->old_sha1));
                new_hex = sha1_to_hex(ref->new_sha1);
 
-               if (ask_for_status_report) {
-                       packet_write(out, "%s %s %s%c%s",
-                                    old_hex, new_hex, ref->name, 0,
-                                    "report-status");
-                       ask_for_status_report = 0;
-                       expect_status_report = 1;
+               if (!dry_run) {
+                       if (ask_for_status_report) {
+                               packet_write(out, "%s %s %s%c%s",
+                                       old_hex, new_hex, ref->name, 0,
+                                       "report-status");
+                               ask_for_status_report = 0;
+                               expect_status_report = 1;
+                       }
+                       else
+                               packet_write(out, "%s %s %s",
+                                       old_hex, new_hex, ref->name);
                }
-               else
-                       packet_write(out, "%s %s %s",
-                                    old_hex, new_hex, ref->name);
                if (will_delete_ref)
                        fprintf(stderr, "deleting '%s'\n", ref->name);
                else {
                        fprintf(stderr, "\n  from %s\n  to   %s\n",
                                old_hex, new_hex);
                }
-               if (remote) {
+               if (remote && !dry_run) {
                        struct refspec rs;
                        rs.src = ref->name;
                        rs.dst = NULL;
        }
 
        packet_flush(out);
-       if (new_refs)
+       if (new_refs && !dry_run)
                ret = pack_objects(out, remote_refs);
        close(out);
 
                                send_all = 1;
                                continue;
                        }
+                       if (!strcmp(arg, "--dry-run")) {
+                               dry_run = 1;
+                               continue;
+                       }
                        if (!strcmp(arg, "--force")) {
                                force_update = 1;
                                continue;