diff --git a/internal/cloud/backend.go b/internal/cloud/backend.go
index 730d8be83..2e611745e 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/backend.go
+++ b/internal/cloud/backend.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-svchost/disco"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/backend"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/configs/configschema"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/plans"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/states/remote"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/states/statemgr"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/terraform"
@@ -643,9 +644,16 @@ func (b *Cloud) Operation(ctx context.Context, op *backend.Operation) (*backend.
 	case backend.OperationTypeApply:
 		f = b.opApply
 	case backend.OperationTypeRefresh:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-			"\n\nThe \"refresh\" operation is not supported when using Terraform Cloud. " +
-				"Use \"terraform apply -refresh-only\" instead.")
+		// The `terraform refresh` command has been deprecated in favor of `terraform apply -refresh-state`.
+		// Rather than respond with an error telling the user to run the other command we can just run
+		// that command instead. We will tell the user what we are doing, and then do it.
+		if b.CLI != nil {
+			b.CLI.Output(b.Colorize().Color(strings.TrimSpace(refreshToApplyRefresh) + "\n"))
+		}
+		op.PlanMode = plans.RefreshOnlyMode
+		op.PlanRefresh = true
+		op.AutoApprove = true
+		f = b.opApply
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
 			"\n\nTerraform Cloud does not support the %q operation.", op.Type)
@@ -982,6 +990,8 @@ const operationNotCanceled = `
 [reset][red]The remote operation was not cancelled.[reset]
 `
 
+const refreshToApplyRefresh = `[bold][yellow]Proceeding with 'terraform apply -refresh-only -auto-approve'.[reset]`
+
 var (
 	workspaceConfigurationHelp = fmt.Sprintf(
 		`The 'workspaces' block configures how Terraform CLI maps its workspaces for this single
diff --git a/internal/cloud/backend_plan.go b/internal/cloud/backend_plan.go
index 4abb22ee3..1956a9c82 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/backend_plan.go
+++ b/internal/cloud/backend_plan.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (b *Cloud) opPlan(stopCtx, cancelCtx context.Context, op *backend.Operation
 func (b *Cloud) plan(stopCtx, cancelCtx context.Context, op *backend.Operation, w *tfe.Workspace) (*tfe.Run, error) {
 	if b.CLI != nil {
 		header := planDefaultHeader
-		if op.Type == backend.OperationTypeApply {
+		if op.Type == backend.OperationTypeApply || op.Type == backend.OperationTypeRefresh {
 			header = applyDefaultHeader
 		}
 		b.CLI.Output(b.Colorize().Color(strings.TrimSpace(header) + "\n"))
diff --git a/internal/cloud/backend_refresh_test.go b/internal/cloud/backend_refresh_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3abb93577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cloud/backend_refresh_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package cloud
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/backend"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/command/arguments"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/command/clistate"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/command/views"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/initwd"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/plans"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/states/statemgr"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/terminal"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
+)
+
+func testOperationRefresh(t *testing.T, configDir string) (*backend.Operation, func(), func(*testing.T) *terminal.TestOutput) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	return testOperationRefreshWithTimeout(t, configDir, 0)
+}
+
+func testOperationRefreshWithTimeout(t *testing.T, configDir string, timeout time.Duration) (*backend.Operation, func(), func(*testing.T) *terminal.TestOutput) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	_, configLoader, configCleanup := initwd.MustLoadConfigForTests(t, configDir)
+
+	streams, done := terminal.StreamsForTesting(t)
+	view := views.NewView(streams)
+	stateLockerView := views.NewStateLocker(arguments.ViewHuman, view)
+	operationView := views.NewOperation(arguments.ViewHuman, false, view)
+
+	return &backend.Operation{
+		ConfigDir:    configDir,
+		ConfigLoader: configLoader,
+		PlanRefresh:  true,
+		StateLocker:  clistate.NewLocker(timeout, stateLockerView),
+		Type:         backend.OperationTypeRefresh,
+		View:         operationView,
+	}, configCleanup, done
+}
+
+func TestCloud_refreshBasicActuallyRunsApplyRefresh(t *testing.T) {
+	b, bCleanup := testBackendWithName(t)
+	defer bCleanup()
+
+	op, configCleanup, done := testOperationRefresh(t, "./testdata/refresh")
+	defer configCleanup()
+	defer done(t)
+
+	op.UIOut = b.CLI
+	b.CLIColor = b.cliColorize()
+	op.PlanMode = plans.RefreshOnlyMode
+	op.Workspace = testBackendSingleWorkspaceName
+
+	run, err := b.Operation(context.Background(), op)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error starting operation: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	<-run.Done()
+	if run.Result != backend.OperationSuccess {
+		t.Fatalf("operation failed: %s", b.CLI.(*cli.MockUi).ErrorWriter.String())
+	}
+
+	output := b.CLI.(*cli.MockUi).OutputWriter.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(output, "Proceeding with 'terraform apply -refresh-only -auto-approve'") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected TFC header in output: %s", output)
+	}
+
+	stateMgr, _ := b.StateMgr(testBackendSingleWorkspaceName)
+	// An error suggests that the state was not unlocked after apply
+	if _, err := stateMgr.Lock(statemgr.NewLockInfo()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error locking state after apply: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/cloud/testdata/refresh/main.tf b/internal/cloud/testdata/refresh/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d61d5f51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cloud/testdata/refresh/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+resource "random_pet" "always_new" {
+  keepers = {
+    uuid = uuid() # Force a new name each time
+  }
+  length = 3
+}
diff --git a/internal/command/refresh.go b/internal/command/refresh.go
index 1bb5d3933..c7c041eb7 100644
--- a/internal/command/refresh.go
+++ b/internal/command/refresh.go
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@ type RefreshCommand struct {
 }
 
 func (c *RefreshCommand) Run(rawArgs []string) int {
+	var diags tfdiags.Diagnostics
+
 	// Parse and apply global view arguments
 	common, rawArgs := arguments.ParseView(rawArgs)
 	c.View.Configure(common)
 
+	// Propagate -no-color for the remote backend's legacy use of Ui. This
+	// should be removed when the remote backend is migrated to views.
+	c.Meta.color = !common.NoColor
+	c.Meta.Color = c.Meta.color
+
 	// Parse and validate flags
 	args, diags := arguments.ParseRefresh(rawArgs)