[PATCH 4/6] push: name the branch to pull from when it is not the upstream

From

Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

Date

Oct 6, 2026, 07:08 UTC

Message-ID

<b44f4cdeaff64a5099adfc9dd325033e8c38f7b4.1791270504.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

In-Reply-To

<pull.2437.git.git.1791270504.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

From: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>

Name the branch that diverged and suggest pulling from it:

  hint: Updates were rejected because 'origin/topic' has diverged
  hint: from your current branch. Use 'git pull origin topic'
  hint: to integrate the remote changes.

Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
---
 builtin/push.c           | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++---
 t/t6040-tracking-info.sh | 57 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 91 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/builtin/push.c b/builtin/push.c
index 2377b5af55..82435beab5 100644
--- a/builtin/push.c
+++ b/builtin/push.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 #include "hex.h"
+#include "refs.h"
 #include "refspec.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "remote.h"
@@ -295,6 +296,11 @@ static const char message_advice_pull_before_push[] =
 	   "use 'git pull' before pushing again.\n"
 	   "See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.");
 
+static const char message_advice_pull_from_branch_before_push[] =
+	N_("Updates were rejected because '%s' has diverged\n"
+	   "from your current branch. Use 'git pull %s %s'\n"
+	   "to integrate the remote changes.");
+
 static const char message_advice_checkout_pull_push[] =
 	N_("Updates were rejected because a pushed branch tip is behind its remote\n"
 	   "counterpart. If you want to integrate the remote changes, use 'git pull'\n"
@@ -322,11 +328,35 @@ static const char message_advice_ref_needs_update[] =
 	   "remote changes, use 'git pull' before pushing again.\n"
 	   "See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.");
 
-static void advise_pull_before_push(void)
+static void advise_pull_before_push(struct remote *push_remote)
 {
+	struct branch *branch = branch_get(NULL);
+	struct remote *remote = NULL;
+	const char *upstream = NULL;
+	char *tracking = NULL;
+	char *tracking_name = NULL;
+
 	if (!advice_enabled(ADVICE_PUSH_NON_FF_CURRENT) || !advice_enabled(ADVICE_PUSH_UPDATE_REJECTED))
 		return;
-	advise(_(message_advice_pull_before_push));
+
+	if (branch) {
+		remote = repo_remote_for_push_tracking(the_repository,
+						       push_remote);
+		tracking = apply_refspecs(&remote->fetch, branch->refname);
+		upstream = branch_get_upstream(branch, NULL);
+	}
+	if (tracking)
+		tracking_name = refs_shorten_unambiguous_ref(
+			get_main_ref_store(the_repository), tracking, 0);
+
+	if (tracking && (!upstream || strcmp(tracking, upstream)))
+		advise(_(message_advice_pull_from_branch_before_push),
+		       tracking_name, remote->name, branch->name);
+	else
+		advise(_(message_advice_pull_before_push));
+
+	free(tracking_name);
+	free(tracking);
 }
 
 static void advise_checkout_pull_push(void)
@@ -370,6 +400,7 @@ static int push_with_options(struct transport *transport, struct refspec *rs,
 	int err;
 	unsigned int reject_reasons;
 	char *anon_url = transport_anonymize_url(transport->url);
+	struct remote *remote = transport->remote;
 
 	transport_set_verbosity(transport, verbosity, progress);
 	transport->family = family;
@@ -404,7 +435,7 @@ static int push_with_options(struct transport *transport, struct refspec *rs,
 		return 0;
 
 	if (reject_reasons & REJECT_NON_FF_HEAD) {
-		advise_pull_before_push();
+		advise_pull_before_push(remote);
 	} else if (reject_reasons & REJECT_NON_FF_OTHER) {
 		advise_checkout_pull_push();
 	} else if (reject_reasons & REJECT_ALREADY_EXISTS) {
diff --git a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
index 4074c6663a..9eb810e158 100755
--- a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
+++ b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
@@ -809,4 +809,61 @@ test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches after a clean rebase of the push bra
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'push to a push branch someone else updated suggests pulling from it' '
+	(
+		cd test &&
+		git checkout -b feature20 origin/main &&
+		advance work20 &&
+		git push origin feature20
+	) &&
+	git checkout feature20 &&
+	advance other20 &&
+	git checkout - &&
+	(
+		cd test &&
+		advance mine20 &&
+		git fetch &&
+		test_must_fail git push origin feature20 2>../actual
+	) &&
+	url=$(git -C test config remote.origin.url) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	To $url
+	 ! [rejected]        feature20 -> feature20 (non-fast-forward)
+	error: failed to push some refs to ${SQ}$url${SQ}
+	hint: Updates were rejected because ${SQ}origin/feature20${SQ} has diverged
+	hint: from your current branch. Use ${SQ}git pull origin feature20${SQ}
+	hint: to integrate the remote changes.
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push to the upstream branch' '
+	(
+		cd test &&
+		git checkout -b feature21 origin/main &&
+		advance work21 &&
+		git push -u origin feature21
+	) &&
+	git checkout feature21 &&
+	advance other21 &&
+	git checkout - &&
+	(
+		cd test &&
+		advance mine21 &&
+		git fetch &&
+		test_must_fail git push 2>../actual
+	) &&
+	url=$(git -C test config remote.origin.url) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	To $url
+	 ! [rejected]        feature21 -> feature21 (non-fast-forward)
+	error: failed to push some refs to ${SQ}$url${SQ}
+	hint: Updates were rejected because the tip of your current branch is behind
+	hint: its remote counterpart. If you want to integrate the remote changes,
+	hint: use ${SQ}git pull${SQ} before pushing again.
+	hint: See the ${SQ}Note about fast-forwards${SQ} in ${SQ}git push --help${SQ} for details.
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done

-- 
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