diff --git a/builtin/send-pack.c b/builtin/send-pack.c
index 729dea1d25..20ca07ecc8 100644
--- a/builtin/send-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/send-pack.c
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ static void print_helper_status(struct ref *ref)
 			break;
 
 		case REF_STATUS_EXPECTING_REPORT:
+			res = "error";
+			msg = "expecting report";
+			break;
+
 		default:
 			continue;
 		}
diff --git a/t/lib-httpd.sh b/t/lib-httpd.sh
index d2edfa4c50..782891908d 100644
--- a/t/lib-httpd.sh
+++ b/t/lib-httpd.sh
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ prepare_httpd() {
 	cp "$TEST_PATH"/passwd "$HTTPD_ROOT_PATH"
 	install_script incomplete-length-upload-pack-v2-http.sh
 	install_script incomplete-body-upload-pack-v2-http.sh
+	install_script error-no-report.sh
 	install_script broken-smart-http.sh
 	install_script error-smart-http.sh
 	install_script error.sh
diff --git a/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf b/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
index afa91e38b0..1a0746639c 100644
--- a/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
+++ b/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ Alias /auth/dumb/ www/auth/dumb/
 </LocationMatch>
 ScriptAlias /smart/incomplete_length/git-upload-pack incomplete-length-upload-pack-v2-http.sh/
 ScriptAlias /smart/incomplete_body/git-upload-pack incomplete-body-upload-pack-v2-http.sh/
+ScriptAlias /smart/no_report/git-receive-pack error-no-report.sh/
 ScriptAliasMatch /error_git_upload_pack/(.*)/git-upload-pack error.sh/
 ScriptAliasMatch /smart_*[^/]*/(.*) ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/git-http-backend/$1
 ScriptAlias /broken_smart/ broken-smart-http.sh/
@@ -134,6 +135,9 @@ ScriptAliasMatch /one_time_perl/(.*) apply-one-time-perl.sh/$1
 <Files incomplete-body-upload-pack-v2-http.sh>
 	Options ExecCGI
 </Files>
+<Files error-no-report.sh>
+	Options ExecCGI
+</Files>
 <Files broken-smart-http.sh>
 	Options ExecCGI
 </Files>
diff --git a/t/lib-httpd/error-no-report.sh b/t/lib-httpd/error-no-report.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39ff75bbc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/lib-httpd/error-no-report.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+echo "Content-Type: application/x-git-receive-pack-result"
+echo
+printf '0013\001000eunpack ok\n'
+printf '0015\002skipping report\n'
+printf '0009\0010000'
+printf '0000'
diff --git a/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh b/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
index c024fa2818..9c61dccc24 100755
--- a/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
+++ b/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
@@ -509,4 +509,20 @@ test_expect_success 'colorize errors/hints' '
 	test_i18ngrep ! "^hint: " decoded
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'report error server does not provide ref status' '
+	git init "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/no_report" &&
+	git -C "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/no_report" config http.receivepack true &&
+	test_must_fail git push --porcelain \
+		$HTTPD_URL_USER_PASS/smart/no_report \
+		HEAD:refs/tags/will-fail >actual &&
+	test_must_fail git -C "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/no_report" \
+		rev-parse --verify refs/tags/will-fail &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	To $HTTPD_URL/smart/no_report
+	!	HEAD:refs/tags/will-fail	[remote rejected] (expecting report)
+	Done
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done