diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index a50ba79..fef7c9f 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -694,6 +694,7 @@
 int check_ref_format(const char *ref)
 {
 	int ch, level, bad_type;
+	int ret = CHECK_REF_FORMAT_OK;
 	const char *cp = ref;
 
 	level = 0;
@@ -709,9 +710,11 @@
 			return CHECK_REF_FORMAT_ERROR;
 		bad_type = bad_ref_char(ch);
 		if (bad_type) {
-			return (bad_type == 2 && !*cp)
-				? CHECK_REF_FORMAT_WILDCARD
-				: CHECK_REF_FORMAT_ERROR;
+			if (bad_type == 2 && (!*cp || *cp == '/') &&
+			    ret == CHECK_REF_FORMAT_OK)
+				ret = CHECK_REF_FORMAT_WILDCARD;
+			else
+				return CHECK_REF_FORMAT_ERROR;
 		}
 
 		/* scan the rest of the path component */
@@ -729,7 +732,7 @@
 		if (!ch) {
 			if (level < 2)
 				return CHECK_REF_FORMAT_ONELEVEL;
-			return CHECK_REF_FORMAT_OK;
+			return ret;
 		}
 	}
 }