diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 59b3715120..d5a6486026 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -2237,42 +2237,21 @@ int stat_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, int *num_ours, int *num_theirs,
 	return stat_branch_pair(branch->refname, base, num_ours, num_theirs, abf);
 }
 
-/*
- * Return true when there is anything to report, otherwise false.
- */
-int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
-			 enum ahead_behind_flags abf,
-			 int show_divergence_advice)
+static void format_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
+				     bool up_to_date,
+				     int ours, int theirs,
+				     const char *branch_name,
+				     enum ahead_behind_flags abf,
+				     bool show_divergence_advice)
 {
-	int ours, theirs, sti;
-	const char *full_base;
-	char *base;
-	int upstream_is_gone = 0;
-
-	sti = stat_tracking_info(branch, &ours, &theirs, &full_base, 0, abf);
-	if (sti < 0) {
-		if (!full_base)
-			return 0;
-		upstream_is_gone = 1;
-	}
-
-	base = refs_shorten_unambiguous_ref(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
-					    full_base, 0);
-	if (upstream_is_gone) {
-		strbuf_addf(sb,
-			_("Your branch is based on '%s', but the upstream is gone.\n"),
-			base);
-		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
-			strbuf_addstr(sb,
-				_("  (use \"git branch --unset-upstream\" to fixup)\n"));
-	} else if (!sti) {
+	if (up_to_date) {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			_("Your branch is up to date with '%s'.\n"),
-			base);
+			branch_name);
 	} else if (abf == AHEAD_BEHIND_QUICK) {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			    _("Your branch and '%s' refer to different commits.\n"),
-			    base);
+			    branch_name);
 		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
 			strbuf_addf(sb, _("  (use \"%s\" for details)\n"),
 				    "git status --ahead-behind");
@@ -2281,7 +2260,7 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
 			Q_("Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commit.\n",
 			   "Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commits.\n",
 			   ours),
-			base, ours);
+			branch_name, ours);
 		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
 			strbuf_addstr(sb,
 				_("  (use \"git push\" to publish your local commits)\n"));
@@ -2292,7 +2271,7 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
 			   "Your branch is behind '%s' by %d commits, "
 			       "and can be fast-forwarded.\n",
 			   theirs),
-			base, theirs);
+			branch_name, theirs);
 		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
 			strbuf_addstr(sb,
 				_("  (use \"git pull\" to update your local branch)\n"));
@@ -2305,12 +2284,47 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
 			       "and have %d and %d different commits each, "
 			       "respectively.\n",
 			   ours + theirs),
-			base, ours, theirs);
+			branch_name, ours, theirs);
 		if (show_divergence_advice &&
 		    advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
 			strbuf_addstr(sb,
 				_("  (use \"git pull\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"));
 	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Return true when there is anything to report, otherwise false.
+ */
+int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
+			 enum ahead_behind_flags abf,
+			 int show_divergence_advice)
+{
+	int ours, theirs, cmp_fetch;
+	const char *full_base;
+	char *base;
+	int upstream_is_gone = 0;
+
+	cmp_fetch = stat_tracking_info(branch, &ours, &theirs, &full_base, 0, abf);
+	if (cmp_fetch < 0) {
+		if (!full_base)
+			return 0;
+		upstream_is_gone = 1;
+	}
+
+	base = refs_shorten_unambiguous_ref(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
+					    full_base, 0);
+
+	if (upstream_is_gone) {
+		strbuf_addf(sb,
+			_("Your branch is based on '%s', but the upstream is gone.\n"),
+			base);
+		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
+			strbuf_addstr(sb,
+				_("  (use \"git branch --unset-upstream\" to fixup)\n"));
+	} else {
+		format_branch_comparison(sb, !cmp_fetch, ours, theirs, base, abf, show_divergence_advice);
+	}
+
 	free(base);
 	return 1;
 }