diff --git a/GITALY_SERVER_VERSION b/GITALY_SERVER_VERSION
index bfbadb3a2ac..53cc1a6f929 100644
--- a/GITALY_SERVER_VERSION
+++ b/GITALY_SERVER_VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.23.0
\ No newline at end of file
+1.24.0
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 2d769284f91..2e465f8ced7 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ group :ed25519 do
 end
 
 # Gitaly GRPC client
-gem 'gitaly-proto', '~> 1.12.0', require: 'gitaly'
+gem 'gitaly-proto', '~> 1.13.0', require: 'gitaly'
 
 gem 'grpc', '~> 1.15.0'
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index e4791a98f2f..4d37075cdfa 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ GEM
       gettext_i18n_rails (>= 0.7.1)
       po_to_json (>= 1.0.0)
       rails (>= 3.2.0)
-    gitaly-proto (1.12.0)
+    gitaly-proto (1.13.0)
       grpc (~> 1.0)
     github-markup (1.7.0)
     gitlab-default_value_for (3.1.1)
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ GEM
       representable (~> 3.0)
       retriable (>= 2.0, < 4.0)
     google-protobuf (3.6.1)
-    googleapis-common-protos-types (1.0.2)
+    googleapis-common-protos-types (1.0.3)
       google-protobuf (~> 3.0)
     googleauth (0.6.6)
       faraday (~> 0.12)
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   gettext (~> 3.2.2)
   gettext_i18n_rails (~> 1.8.0)
   gettext_i18n_rails_js (~> 1.3)
-  gitaly-proto (~> 1.12.0)
+  gitaly-proto (~> 1.13.0)
   github-markup (~> 1.7.0)
   gitlab-default_value_for (~> 3.1.1)
   gitlab-markup (~> 1.6.5)
diff --git a/app/services/commits/create_service.rb b/app/services/commits/create_service.rb
index a3b87c20761..bb34a3d3352 100644
--- a/app/services/commits/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/commits/create_service.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ module Commits
       @start_project = params[:start_project] || @project
       @start_branch = params[:start_branch]
       @branch_name = params[:branch_name]
+      @force = params[:force] || false
     end
 
     def execute
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ module Commits
       @start_branch != @branch_name || @start_project != @project
     end
 
+    def force?
+      !!@force
+    end
+
     def validate!
       validate_permissions!
       validate_on_branch!
@@ -65,13 +70,13 @@ module Commits
     end
 
     def validate_branch_existence!
-      if !project.empty_repo? && different_branch? && repository.branch_exists?(@branch_name)
+      if !project.empty_repo? && different_branch? && repository.branch_exists?(@branch_name) && !force?
         raise_error("A branch called '#{@branch_name}' already exists. Switch to that branch in order to make changes")
       end
     end
 
     def validate_new_branch_name!
-      result = ValidateNewBranchService.new(project, current_user).execute(@branch_name)
+      result = ValidateNewBranchService.new(project, current_user).execute(@branch_name, force: force?)
 
       if result[:status] == :error
         raise_error("Something went wrong when we tried to create '#{@branch_name}' for you: #{result[:message]}")
diff --git a/app/services/files/multi_service.rb b/app/services/files/multi_service.rb
index 927634c2159..c1bc26c330a 100644
--- a/app/services/files/multi_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/files/multi_service.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ module Files
         author_email: @author_email,
         author_name: @author_name,
         start_project: @start_project,
-        start_branch_name: @start_branch
+        start_branch_name: @start_branch,
+        force: force?
       )
     rescue ArgumentError => e
       raise_error(e)
diff --git a/app/services/validate_new_branch_service.rb b/app/services/validate_new_branch_service.rb
index c19e2ec2043..3f4a59e5cee 100644
--- a/app/services/validate_new_branch_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/validate_new_branch_service.rb
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 require_relative 'base_service'
 
 class ValidateNewBranchService < BaseService
-  def execute(branch_name)
+  def execute(branch_name, force: false)
     valid_branch = Gitlab::GitRefValidator.validate(branch_name)
 
     unless valid_branch
       return error('Branch name is invalid')
     end
 
-    if project.repository.branch_exists?(branch_name)
+    if project.repository.branch_exists?(branch_name) && !force
       return error('Branch already exists')
     end
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/45035-force-push-api.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/45035-force-push-api.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..05f5a36ac38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/45035-force-push-api.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Accept force option to overwrite branch on commit via API
+merge_request: 25286
+author:
+type: added
diff --git a/doc/api/commits.md b/doc/api/commits.md
index 8d36ae7d559..442178aedff 100644
--- a/doc/api/commits.md
+++ b/doc/api/commits.md
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ POST /projects/:id/repository/commits
 | `author_email` | string | no | Specify the commit author's email address |
 | `author_name` | string | no | Specify the commit author's name |
 | `stats` | boolean | no | Include commit stats. Default is true |
+| `force` | boolean | no | When `true` overwrites the target branch with a new commit based on the `start_branch` |
 
 | `actions[]` Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
 | --------------------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
diff --git a/lib/api/commits.rb b/lib/api/commits.rb
index d0a9debda5b..65eb9bfb87e 100644
--- a/lib/api/commits.rb
+++ b/lib/api/commits.rb
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ module API
         optional :author_email, type: String, desc: 'Author email for commit'
         optional :author_name, type: String, desc: 'Author name for commit'
         optional :stats, type: Boolean, default: true, desc: 'Include commit stats'
+        optional :force, type: Boolean, default: false, desc: 'When `true` overwrites the target branch with a new commit based on the `start_branch`'
       end
       post ':id/repository/commits' do
         authorize_push_to_branch!(params[:branch])
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
index 2bfff8397e8..2f8e4e9e93d 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
@@ -853,17 +853,20 @@ module Gitlab
         true
       end
 
+      # rubocop:disable Metrics/ParameterLists
       def multi_action(
         user, branch_name:, message:, actions:,
         author_email: nil, author_name: nil,
-        start_branch_name: nil, start_repository: self)
+        start_branch_name: nil, start_repository: self,
+        force: false)
 
         wrapped_gitaly_errors do
           gitaly_operation_client.user_commit_files(user, branch_name,
               message, actions, author_email, author_name,
-              start_branch_name, start_repository)
+              start_branch_name, start_repository, force)
         end
       end
+      # rubocop:enable Metrics/ParameterLists
 
       def write_config(full_path:)
         return unless full_path.present?
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/operation_service.rb b/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/operation_service.rb
index d172c798da2..bc45ee38fb5 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/operation_service.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/operation_service.rb
@@ -277,14 +277,14 @@ module Gitlab
         end
       end
 
+      # rubocop:disable Metrics/ParameterLists
       def user_commit_files(
         user, branch_name, commit_message, actions, author_email, author_name,
-        start_branch_name, start_repository)
-
+        start_branch_name, start_repository, force = false)
         req_enum = Enumerator.new do |y|
           header = user_commit_files_request_header(user, branch_name,
           commit_message, actions, author_email, author_name,
-          start_branch_name, start_repository)
+          start_branch_name, start_repository, force)
 
           y.yield Gitaly::UserCommitFilesRequest.new(header: header)
 
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ module Gitlab
 
         Gitlab::Git::OperationService::BranchUpdate.from_gitaly(response.branch_update)
       end
+      # rubocop:enable Metrics/ParameterLists
 
       def user_commit_patches(user, branch_name, patches)
         header = Gitaly::UserApplyPatchRequest::Header.new(
@@ -382,9 +383,10 @@ module Gitlab
         Gitlab::Git::OperationService::BranchUpdate.from_gitaly(response.branch_update)
       end
 
+      # rubocop:disable Metrics/ParameterLists
       def user_commit_files_request_header(
         user, branch_name, commit_message, actions, author_email, author_name,
-        start_branch_name, start_repository)
+        start_branch_name, start_repository, force)
 
         Gitaly::UserCommitFilesRequestHeader.new(
           repository: @gitaly_repo,
@@ -394,9 +396,11 @@ module Gitlab
           commit_author_name: encode_binary(author_name),
           commit_author_email: encode_binary(author_email),
           start_branch_name: encode_binary(start_branch_name),
-          start_repository: start_repository.gitaly_repository
+          start_repository: start_repository.gitaly_repository,
+          force: force
         )
       end
+      # rubocop:enable Metrics/ParameterLists
 
       def user_commit_files_action_header(action)
         Gitaly::UserCommitFilesActionHeader.new(
diff --git a/spec/services/files/multi_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/files/multi_service_spec.rb
index 84c48d63c64..6842fa9f435 100644
--- a/spec/services/files/multi_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/files/multi_service_spec.rb
@@ -235,6 +235,22 @@ describe Files::MultiService do
         expect(blob).to be_present
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when force is set to true and branch already exists' do
+      let(:commit_params) do
+        {
+          commit_message: commit_message,
+          branch_name: 'feature',
+          start_branch: 'master',
+          actions: actions,
+          force: true
+        }
+      end
+
+      it 'is still a success' do
+        expect(subject.execute[:status]).to eq(:success)
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   def update_file(path)