diff --git a/builtin-branch.c b/builtin-branch.c
index c87e63b02dd3bb0e12e5bf14aec22a0f219867b0..ddc9f2dab7f3b55e4cd0cffbf303a3ad108fd431 100644
--- a/builtin-branch.c
+++ b/builtin-branch.c
@@ -638,10 +638,12 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		rename_branch(head, argv[0], rename > 1);
 	else if (rename && (argc == 2))
 		rename_branch(argv[0], argv[1], rename > 1);
-	else if (argc <= 2)
+	else if (argc <= 2) {
+		if (kinds != REF_LOCAL_BRANCH)
+			die("-a and -r options to 'git branch' do not make sense with a branch name");
 		create_branch(head, argv[0], (argc == 2) ? argv[1] : head,
 			      force_create, reflog, track);
-	else
+	} else
 		usage_with_options(builtin_branch_usage, options);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/t/t5403-post-checkout-hook.sh b/t/t5403-post-checkout-hook.sh
index 5858b868ed6ff05d458996cf8c359a7148591582..d05a9138b46eec072750142f912a41caa3e23d83 100755
--- a/t/t5403-post-checkout-hook.sh
+++ b/t/t5403-post-checkout-hook.sh
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@ test_description='Test the post-checkout hook.'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success setup '
-	 echo Data for commit0. >a &&
-	 echo Data for commit0. >b &&
-	 git update-index --add a &&
-	 git update-index --add b &&
-	 tree0=$(git write-tree) &&
-	 commit0=$(echo setup | git commit-tree $tree0) &&
-        git update-ref refs/heads/master $commit0 &&
-	 git clone ./. clone1 &&
-	 git clone ./. clone2 &&
-        GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git branch -a new2 &&
-        echo Data for commit1. >clone2/b &&
-	 GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git add clone2/b &&
-	 GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git commit -m new2
+	echo Data for commit0. >a &&
+	echo Data for commit0. >b &&
+	git update-index --add a &&
+	git update-index --add b &&
+	tree0=$(git write-tree) &&
+	commit0=$(echo setup | git commit-tree $tree0) &&
+	git update-ref refs/heads/master $commit0 &&
+	git clone ./. clone1 &&
+	git clone ./. clone2 &&
+	GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git branch new2 &&
+	echo Data for commit1. >clone2/b &&
+	GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git add clone2/b &&
+	GIT_DIR=clone2/.git git commit -m new2
 '
 
 for clone in 1 2; do