diff --git a/git-fetch.sh b/git-fetch.sh
index 79222fbb1a4bf3205f3225feafc96aa43aace87c..b15fc2b389f35e2b30b17eada4bcc711a12d2a11 100755
--- a/git-fetch.sh
+++ b/git-fetch.sh
@@ -129,22 +129,25 @@ append_fetch_head () {
     then
 	headc_=$(git-rev-parse --verify "$head_^0") || exit
 	echo "$headc_	$not_for_merge_	$note_" >>"$GIT_DIR/FETCH_HEAD"
-	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "* committish: $head_"
-	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "  $note_"
     else
 	echo "$head_	not-for-merge	$note_" >>"$GIT_DIR/FETCH_HEAD"
-	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "* non-commit: $head_"
-	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "  $note_"
-    fi
-    if test "$local_name_" != ""
-    then
-	# We are storing the head locally.  Make sure that it is
-	# a fast forward (aka "reverse push").
-	fast_forward_local "$local_name_" "$head_" "$note_"
     fi
+
+    update_local_ref "$local_name_" "$head_" "$note_"
 }
 
-fast_forward_local () {
+update_local_ref () {
+    # If we are storing the head locally make sure that it is
+    # a fast forward (aka "reverse push").
+
+    label_=$(git-cat-file -t $2)
+    newshort_=$(git-rev-parse --short $2)
+    if test -z "$1" ; then
+	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "* fetched $3"
+	[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
+	return 0
+    fi
+    oldshort_=$(git-rev-parse --short "$1" 2>/dev/null)
     mkdir -p "$(dirname "$GIT_DIR/$1")"
     case "$1" in
     refs/tags/*)
@@ -154,13 +157,16 @@ fast_forward_local () {
 	then
 		if now_=$(cat "$GIT_DIR/$1") && test "$now_" = "$2"
 		then
-			[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "* $1: same as $3" ||:
+			[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "* $1: same as $3"
+			[ "$verbose" ] && echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_" ||:
 		else
 			echo >&2 "* $1: updating with $3"
+			echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
 			git-update-ref -m "$rloga: updating tag" "$1" "$2"
 		fi
 	else
 		echo >&2 "* $1: storing $3"
+		echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
 		git-update-ref -m "$rloga: storing tag" "$1" "$2"
 	fi
 	;;
@@ -178,31 +184,34 @@ fast_forward_local () {
 	        if test -n "$verbose"
 		then
 			echo >&2 "* $1: same as $3"
+			echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
 		fi
 		;;
 	    *,$local)
 		echo >&2 "* $1: fast forward to $3"
-		echo >&2 "  from $local to $2"
+		echo >&2 "  old..new: $oldshort_..$newshort_"
 		git-update-ref -m "$rloga: fast-forward" "$1" "$2" "$local"
 		;;
 	    *)
 		false
 		;;
 	    esac || {
-		echo >&2 "* $1: does not fast forward to $3;"
 		case ",$force,$single_force," in
 		*,t,*)
-			echo >&2 "  forcing update."
+			echo >&2 "* $1: forcing update to non-fast forward $3"
+			echo >&2 "  old...new: $oldshort_...$newshort_"
 			git-update-ref -m "$rloga: forced-update" "$1" "$2" "$local"
 			;;
 		*)
-			echo >&2 "  not updating."
+			echo >&2 "* $1: not updating to non-fast forward $3"
+			echo >&2 "  old...new: $oldshort_...$newshort_"
 			exit 1
 			;;
 		esac
 	    }
 	else
 	    echo >&2 "* $1: storing $3"
+	    echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
 	    git-update-ref -m "$rloga: storing head" "$1" "$2"
 	fi
 	;;
diff --git a/git-merge.sh b/git-merge.sh
index 5b34b4de99c33a99dfb841795baced8889f74a88..49c46d55df3491460864b3afd751258ec8ec97c7 100755
--- a/git-merge.sh
+++ b/git-merge.sh
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ f,*)
 	;;
 ?,1,"$head",*)
 	# Again the most common case of merging one remote.
-	echo "Updating from $head to $1"
+	echo "Updating $(git-rev-parse --short $head)..$(git-rev-parse --short $1)"
 	git-update-index --refresh 2>/dev/null
 	new_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify "$1^0") &&
 	git-read-tree -u -v -m $head "$new_head" &&
diff --git a/git-resolve.sh b/git-resolve.sh
index 729ec65dc9e0ddebfe81fb4d837a5f9c83b537ee..36b90e38494eb79b4859cf59301b5a4e6ccccea1 100755
--- a/git-resolve.sh
+++ b/git-resolve.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ case "$common" in
 	exit 0
 	;;
 "$head")
-	echo "Updating from $head to $merge"
+	echo "Updating $(git-rev-parse --short $head)..$(git-rev-parse --short $merge)"
 	git-read-tree -u -m $head $merge || exit 1
 	git-update-ref -m "resolve $merge_name: Fast forward" \
 		HEAD "$merge" "$head"