diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
index 3d0dacab3..b737bbec0 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.submodule.SubmoduleStatusType;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.submodule.SubmoduleWalk;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RefSpec;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RemoteConfig;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.TagOpt;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.URIish;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ public class CloneCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 				.size());
 		assertEquals(new RefSpec("+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"),
 				fetchRefSpec(git2.getRepository()));
+		assertTagOption(git2.getRepository(), TagOpt.AUTO_FOLLOW);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -801,6 +803,50 @@ public class CloneCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCloneNoTags() throws IOException, JGitInternalException,
+			GitAPIException, URISyntaxException {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testCloneRepository");
+		CloneCommand command = Git.cloneRepository();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		command.setURI(fileUri());
+		command.setNoTags();
+		Git git2 = command.call();
+		addRepoToClose(git2.getRepository());
+		assertNotNull(git2);
+		assertNotNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("refs/heads/test"));
+		assertNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("tag-initial"));
+		assertNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("tag-for-blob"));
+		assertTagOption(git2.getRepository(), TagOpt.NO_TAGS);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCloneFollowTags() throws IOException, JGitInternalException,
+			GitAPIException, URISyntaxException {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testCloneRepository");
+		CloneCommand command = Git.cloneRepository();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		command.setURI(fileUri());
+		command.setBranch("refs/heads/master");
+		command.setBranchesToClone(
+				Collections.singletonList("refs/heads/master"));
+		command.setTagOption(TagOpt.FETCH_TAGS);
+		Git git2 = command.call();
+		addRepoToClose(git2.getRepository());
+		assertNotNull(git2);
+		assertNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("refs/heads/test"));
+		assertNotNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("tag-initial"));
+		assertNotNull(git2.getRepository().resolve("tag-for-blob"));
+		assertTagOption(git2.getRepository(), TagOpt.FETCH_TAGS);
+	}
+
+	private void assertTagOption(Repository repo, TagOpt expectedTagOption)
+			throws URISyntaxException {
+		RemoteConfig remoteConfig = new RemoteConfig(
+				repo.getConfig(), "origin");
+		assertEquals(expectedTagOption, remoteConfig.getTagOpt());
+	}
+
 	private String fileUri() {
 		return "file://" + git.getRepository().getWorkTree().getAbsolutePath();
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommand.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommand.java
index 78afe18f3..30d7f9adc 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommand.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommand.java
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ public class CloneCommand extends TransportCommand<CloneCommand, Git> {
 
 	private FETCH_TYPE fetchType;
 
+	private TagOpt tagOption;
+
 	private enum FETCH_TYPE {
 		MULTIPLE_BRANCHES, ALL_BRANCHES, MIRROR
 	}
@@ -278,6 +280,9 @@ public class CloneCommand extends TransportCommand<CloneCommand, Git> {
 
 		config.setFetchRefSpecs(calculateRefSpecs(fetchType, config.getName()));
 		config.setMirror(fetchType == FETCH_TYPE.MIRROR);
+		if (tagOption != null) {
+			config.setTagOpt(tagOption);
+		}
 		config.update(clonedRepo.getConfig());
 
 		clonedRepo.getConfig().save();
@@ -286,7 +291,12 @@ public class CloneCommand extends TransportCommand<CloneCommand, Git> {
 		FetchCommand command = new FetchCommand(clonedRepo);
 		command.setRemote(remote);
 		command.setProgressMonitor(monitor);
-		command.setTagOpt(fetchAll ? TagOpt.FETCH_TAGS : TagOpt.AUTO_FOLLOW);
+		if (tagOption != null) {
+			command.setTagOpt(tagOption);
+		} else {
+			command.setTagOpt(
+					fetchAll ? TagOpt.FETCH_TAGS : TagOpt.AUTO_FOLLOW);
+		}
 		configure(command);
 
 		return command.call();
@@ -663,6 +673,30 @@ public class CloneCommand extends TransportCommand<CloneCommand, Git> {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the tag option used for the remote configuration explicitly.
+	 *
+	 * @param tagOption
+	 *            tag option to be used for the remote config
+	 * @return {@code this}
+	 * @since 5.8
+	 */
+	public CloneCommand setTagOption(TagOpt tagOption) {
+		this.tagOption = tagOption;
+		return this;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the --no-tags option. Tags are not cloned now and the remote
+	 * configuration is initialized with the --no-tags option as well.
+	 *
+	 * @return {@code this}
+	 * @since 5.8
+	 */
+	public CloneCommand setNoTags() {
+		return setTagOption(TagOpt.NO_TAGS);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Set whether to skip checking out a branch
 	 *