diff --git a/eden/scm/edenscm/git.py b/eden/scm/edenscm/git.py
index 917513fb01cea..0a995c98e894f 100644
--- a/eden/scm/edenscm/git.py
+++ b/eden/scm/edenscm/git.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 import bindings
 from edenscm import tracing
 
-from . import bookmarks as bookmod, error, identity, progress, util
+from . import bookmarks as bookmod, error, identity, progress, rcutil, util
+
 from .i18n import _
 from .node import bin, hex, nullid
 
@@ -154,6 +155,8 @@ def clone(ui, url, destpath=None, update=True, pullnames=None):
                     # fall back to the using the names in the config.
                     pullnames = bookmod.selectivepullbookmarknames(repo)
 
+                update_publicheads(repo, pullnames)
+
                 # Make sure we pull "update". If it looks like a hash, add to
                 # "nodes", otherwise to "names".
                 nodes = []
@@ -183,6 +186,15 @@ def clone(ui, url, destpath=None, update=True, pullnames=None):
     return repo
 
 
+def update_publicheads(repo, pullnames):
+    default_publicheads = repo.ui.configlist(
+        "remotenames", "publicheads"
+    )  # ['remote/master', 'remote/main']
+    remote_publicheads = ["remote/" + path for path in pullnames]
+    all_publicheads = ",".join(sorted(set(default_publicheads + remote_publicheads)))
+    update_and_persist_config(repo, "remotenames", "publicheads", all_publicheads)
+
+
 def parse_symref_head(symref_head_output: str) -> Optional[str]:
     r"""
     Args:
@@ -342,6 +354,13 @@ def readconfig(repo):
     return config
 
 
+def update_and_persist_config(repo, section, name, value):
+    """edit config and save it to the repo's config file"""
+    configfilename = repo.ui.identity.configrepofile()
+    configfilepath = repo.localvfs.join(configfilename)
+    rcutil.editconfig(repo.ui, configfilepath, section, name, value)
+
+
 @dataclass
 class RefName:
     """simple reference name handling for git
diff --git a/eden/scm/tests/test-git-clone-sets-publicheads.t b/eden/scm/tests/test-git-clone-sets-publicheads.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..375d41a3dfff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eden/scm/tests/test-git-clone-sets-publicheads.t
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#debugruntest-compatible
+#require git no-windows
+
+  $ . $TESTDIR/git.sh
+
+Prepare a git repo:
+
+  $ git init -q gitrepo
+  $ cd gitrepo
+  $ git config core.autocrlf false
+  $ echo 1 > alpha
+  $ git add alpha
+  $ git commit -q -malpha
+
+  $ git switch -c foo
+  Switched to a new branch 'foo'
+
+  $ echo 2 > beta
+  $ git add beta
+  $ git commit -q -mbeta
+
+Test git clone sets publicheads
+  $ hg clone --git "$TESTTMP/gitrepo" cloned
+  From $TESTTMP/gitrepo
+   * [new ref]         3f5848713286c67b8a71a450e98c7fa66787bde2 -> remote/foo
+  2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  $ cd cloned
+  $ hg config remotenames.publicheads
+  remote/foo,remote/main,remote/master