diff --git a/src/core/ObservableQuery.ts b/src/core/ObservableQuery.ts
index 76b31b12d51..5d9c285906f 100644
--- a/src/core/ObservableQuery.ts
+++ b/src/core/ObservableQuery.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,16 @@ export class ObservableQuery<
    * the previous values of those variables will be used.
    */
   public refetch(variables?: Partial<TVariables>): Promise<ApolloQueryResult<TData>> {
+    return this.refresh(variables, NetworkStatus.refetch);
+  }
+
+  // Forces a network query, like fetchMore and refetch, but overwrites
+  // existing cache fields with incoming data, rather than merging field
+  // values. Can be useful for restarting paginated fields with fresh data.
+  public refresh(
+    variables?: Partial<TVariables>,
+    networkStatus = NetworkStatus.refresh,
+  ): Promise<ApolloQueryResult<TData>> {
     const reobserveOptions: Partial<WatchQueryOptions<TVariables, TData>> = {
       // Always disable polling for refetches.
       pollInterval: 0,
@@ -250,9 +260,13 @@ export class ObservableQuery<
 
     this.queryInfo.resetLastWrite();
 
-    return this.newReobserver(false).reobserve(
+    return (
+      networkStatus === NetworkStatus.refresh
+        ? this.getReobserver()
+        : this.newReobserver(false)
+    ).reobserve(
       reobserveOptions,
-      NetworkStatus.refetch,
+      networkStatus,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/core/QueryManager.ts b/src/core/QueryManager.ts
index 4451e9cd116..6cd9e182b69 100644
--- a/src/core/QueryManager.ts
+++ b/src/core/QueryManager.ts
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ export class QueryManager<TStore> {
     options: WatchQueryOptions<TVars, TData>,
     // The initial networkStatus for this fetch, most often
     // NetworkStatus.loading, but also possibly fetchMore, poll, refetch,
-    // or setVariables.
+    // refresh, or setVariables.
     networkStatus = NetworkStatus.loading,
   ): Concast<ApolloQueryResult<TData>> {
     const query = this.transform(options.query).document;
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ export class QueryManager<TStore> {
     options: WatchQueryOptions<TVars, TData>,
     // The initial networkStatus for this fetch, most often
     // NetworkStatus.loading, but also possibly fetchMore, poll, refetch,
-    // or setVariables.
+    // refresh, or setVariables.
     networkStatus: NetworkStatus,
   ): ConcastSourcesIterable<ApolloQueryResult<TData>> {
     const {
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ export class QueryManager<TStore> {
 
     const cacheWriteBehavior =
       fetchPolicy === "no-cache" ? CacheWriteBehavior.FORBID :
-      networkStatus === NetworkStatus.refetch ? CacheWriteBehavior.OVERWRITE :
+      networkStatus === NetworkStatus.refresh ? CacheWriteBehavior.OVERWRITE :
       CacheWriteBehavior.MERGE;
 
     const resultsFromLink = () =>
diff --git a/src/core/networkStatus.ts b/src/core/networkStatus.ts
index 08915e3a702..9c9c736e675 100644
--- a/src/core/networkStatus.ts
+++ b/src/core/networkStatus.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ export enum NetworkStatus {
    */
   refetch = 4,
 
+  /**
+   * Similar to NetworkStatus.refetch, but existing cache fields will be
+   * overwritten by the incoming network data, rather than merging. Useful
+   * for restarting a paginated field with fresh initial data.
+   *
+   * This enum value uses the string "refetch" rather than a number,
+   * because it was added after the other values, and we did not want to
+   * change the existing numbers. Any other values added in the future
+   * should also use strings rather than numbers.
+   */
+  refresh = "refresh",
+
   /**
    * Indicates that a polling query is currently in flight. So for example if you are polling a
    * query every 10 seconds then the network status will switch to `poll` every 10 seconds whenever
@@ -52,5 +64,6 @@ export enum NetworkStatus {
 export function isNetworkRequestInFlight(
   networkStatus?: NetworkStatus,
 ): boolean {
-  return networkStatus ? networkStatus < 7 : false;
+  return networkStatus === "refresh" ||
+    (typeof networkStatus === "number" && networkStatus < 7);
 }
diff --git a/src/react/components/__tests__/client/__snapshots__/Query.test.tsx.snap b/src/react/components/__tests__/client/__snapshots__/Query.test.tsx.snap
index 8e19a2575ff..1a05e8fa09f 100644
--- a/src/react/components/__tests__/client/__snapshots__/Query.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/react/components/__tests__/client/__snapshots__/Query.test.tsx.snap
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Object {
   "networkStatus": 1,
   "previousData": undefined,
   "refetch": [Function],
+  "refresh": [Function],
   "startPolling": [Function],
   "stopPolling": [Function],
   "subscribeToMore": [Function],
diff --git a/src/react/data/QueryData.ts b/src/react/data/QueryData.ts
index c14d5b671f9..f16179123c4 100644
--- a/src/react/data/QueryData.ts
+++ b/src/react/data/QueryData.ts
@@ -495,6 +495,9 @@ export class QueryData<TData, TVariables> extends OperationData<
   private obsRefetch = (variables?: Partial<TVariables>) =>
     this.currentObservable?.refetch(variables);
 
+  private obsRefresh = (variables?: Partial<TVariables>) =>
+    this.currentObservable?.refresh(variables);
+
   private obsFetchMore = (
     fetchMoreOptions: FetchMoreQueryOptions<TVariables, TData> &
       FetchMoreOptions<TData, TVariables>
@@ -530,6 +533,7 @@ export class QueryData<TData, TVariables> extends OperationData<
     return {
       variables: this.currentObservable?.variables,
       refetch: this.obsRefetch,
+      refresh: this.obsRefresh,
       fetchMore: this.obsFetchMore,
       updateQuery: this.obsUpdateQuery,
       startPolling: this.obsStartPolling,
diff --git a/src/react/hoc/types.ts b/src/react/hoc/types.ts
index dddfe8d6f1f..a9abe3e9455 100644
--- a/src/react/hoc/types.ts
+++ b/src/react/hoc/types.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ApolloClient } from '../../core';
+import { ApolloClient, ObservableQuery } from '../../core';
 import { ApolloError } from '../../errors';
 import {
   ApolloQueryResult,
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface QueryControls<
       FetchMoreOptions<TData, TGraphQLVariables>
   ) => Promise<ApolloQueryResult<TData>>;
   refetch: (variables?: TGraphQLVariables) => Promise<ApolloQueryResult<TData>>;
+  refresh: ObservableQuery<TData, TGraphQLVariables>["refresh"];
   startPolling: (pollInterval: number) => void;
   stopPolling: () => void;
   subscribeToMore: (options: SubscribeToMoreOptions) => () => void;
diff --git a/src/react/types/types.ts b/src/react/types/types.ts
index e08054bd9d9..53878eeeb20 100644
--- a/src/react/types/types.ts
+++ b/src/react/types/types.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export type ObservableQueryFields<TData, TVariables> = Pick<
   | 'subscribeToMore'
   | 'updateQuery'
   | 'refetch'
+  | 'refresh'
   | 'variables'
 > & {
   fetchMore: ((