diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 5882d11a8d57f060fdee6a79b70e230c530363c3..b6a768e2605038ff4c85a0a115b8571013cc7d05 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -1627,13 +1627,15 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb)
 
 	base = branch->merge[0]->dst;
 	base = shorten_unambiguous_ref(base, 0);
-	if (!num_theirs)
+	if (!num_theirs) {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			Q_("Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commit.\n",
 			   "Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commits.\n",
 			   num_ours),
 			base, num_ours);
-	else if (!num_ours)
+		strbuf_addf(sb,
+			_("  (use \"git push\" to publish your local commits)\n"));
+	} else if (!num_ours) {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			Q_("Your branch is behind '%s' by %d commit, "
 			       "and can be fast-forwarded.\n",
@@ -1641,7 +1643,9 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb)
 			       "and can be fast-forwarded.\n",
 			   num_theirs),
 			base, num_theirs);
-	else
+		strbuf_addf(sb,
+			_("  (use \"git pull\" to update your local branch)\n"));
+	} else {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			Q_("Your branch and '%s' have diverged,\n"
 			       "and have %d and %d different commit each, "
@@ -1651,6 +1655,9 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb)
 			       "respectively.\n",
 			   num_theirs),
 			base, num_ours, num_theirs);
+		strbuf_addf(sb,
+			_("  (use \"git pull\" to merge the remote branch into yours)\n"));
+	}
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t2020-checkout-detach.sh b/t/t2020-checkout-detach.sh
index 81005373d728f09e1a9289048cc721a0300f1cf9..5d68729d7a65abde09d1293e8569b730d2ba9a40 100755
--- a/t/t2020-checkout-detach.sh
+++ b/t/t2020-checkout-detach.sh
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ test_expect_success 'checkout does not warn leaving reachable commit' '
 
 cat >expect <<'EOF'
 Your branch is behind 'master' by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+  (use "git pull" to update your local branch)
 EOF
 test_expect_success 'tracking count is accurate after orphan check' '
 	reset &&