diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParser.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParser.java
index 81231145ab21..6031dde21edb 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParser.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParser.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package git4idea.push;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
+import git4idea.GitBranch;
 import git4idea.GitUtil;
 import git4idea.branch.GitBranchUtil;
 import git4idea.repo.GitRepository;
@@ -33,23 +34,29 @@ final class GitPushSpecParser {
     if (parts.length != 2) {
       return null;
     }
-    String source = parts[0].trim();
-    String target = parts[1].trim();
-    source = StringUtil.trimStart(source, "+");
+    String specSource = parts[0].trim();
+    String specTarget = parts[1].trim();
+    specSource = StringUtil.trimStart(specSource, "+");
 
-    if (!isStarPositionValid(source, target)) {
+    if (!isStarPositionValid(specSource, specTarget)) {
       return null;
     }
 
-    source = GitBranchUtil.stripRefsPrefix(source);
-    sourceBranch = GitBranchUtil.stripRefsPrefix(sourceBranch);
-    if (source.equals(GitUtil.HEAD) || source.equals(sourceBranch)) return target;
+    String strippedSpecSource = GitBranchUtil.stripRefsPrefix(specSource);
+    String strippedSourceBranch = GitBranchUtil.stripRefsPrefix(sourceBranch);
+    sourceBranch = GitBranch.REFS_HEADS_PREFIX + strippedSourceBranch;
 
-    if (source.endsWith("*")) {
-      String sourceWoStar = source.substring(0, source.length() - 1);
+    if (strippedSpecSource.equals(GitUtil.HEAD) ||
+        specSource.equals(sourceBranch) ||
+        specSource.equals(strippedSourceBranch)) {
+      return specTarget;
+    }
+
+    if (specSource.endsWith("*")) {
+      String sourceWoStar = specSource.substring(0, specSource.length() - 1);
       if (sourceBranch.startsWith(sourceWoStar)) {
         String starMeaning = sourceBranch.substring(sourceWoStar.length());
-        return target.replace("*", starMeaning);
+        return specTarget.replace("*", starMeaning);
       }
     }
     return null;
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushTarget.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushTarget.java
index 7548a4a6ace9..434a3f4c80e9 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushTarget.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/push/GitPushTarget.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import static git4idea.GitBranch.REFS_HEADS_PREFIX;
 import static git4idea.GitBranch.REFS_REMOTES_PREFIX;
 import static git4idea.GitUtil.findRemoteBranch;
 import static git4idea.GitUtil.getDefaultOrFirstRemote;
@@ -105,6 +106,12 @@ public class GitPushTarget implements PushTarget {
     if (targetRef == null) return null;
 
     String remotePrefix = REFS_REMOTES_PREFIX + remote.getName() + "/";
+    if (targetRef.startsWith(REFS_HEADS_PREFIX)) {
+      targetRef = targetRef.substring(REFS_HEADS_PREFIX.length());
+      GitRemoteBranch remoteBranch = GitUtil.findOrCreateRemoteBranch(repository, remote, targetRef);
+      boolean existingBranch = repository.getBranches().getRemoteBranches().contains(remoteBranch);
+      return new GitPushTarget(remoteBranch, !existingBranch, false);
+    }
     if (targetRef.startsWith(remotePrefix)) {
       targetRef = targetRef.substring(remotePrefix.length());
       GitRemoteBranch remoteBranch = GitUtil.findOrCreateRemoteBranch(repository, remote, targetRef);
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/tests/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParserTest.java b/plugins/git4idea/tests/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParserTest.java
index fe23954bad9b..46f6f0a08579 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/tests/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParserTest.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/tests/git4idea/push/GitPushSpecParserTest.java
@@ -62,6 +62,24 @@ public class GitPushSpecParserTest {
     assertNull(getTargetRef("feature", specs));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void test_tag_specs_ignored() {
+    List<String> specs = Arrays.asList("+refs/heads/master:refs/remotes/origin/master",
+                                       "refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*");
+    assertNull(getTargetRef("qa/ticket1", specs));
+    assertEquals("refs/remotes/origin/master", getTargetRef("master", specs));
+    assertNull(getTargetRef("feature", specs));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void test_refs_heads_matches() {
+    List<String> specs = Arrays.asList("refs/heads/master:refs/heads/qa/master",
+                                       "refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*",
+                                       "refs/heads/*:refs/heads/pr/*");
+    assertEquals("refs/heads/pr/qa/ticket1", getTargetRef("qa/ticket1", specs));
+    assertEquals("refs/heads/qa/master", getTargetRef("master", specs));
+  }
+
   @Nullable
   private static String getTargetRef(@NotNull String sourceBranch, @NotNull List<String> specs) {
     GitRepository myRepo = Mockito.mock(GitRepository.class);