diff --git a/src/gitsync.rs b/src/gitsync.rs
index 01b6072..f5bdaca 100644
--- a/src/gitsync.rs
+++ b/src/gitsync.rs
@@ -64,6 +64,26 @@ fn has_origin(workspace: &Path) -> bool {
     ok && out.lines().any(|l| l.trim() == "origin")
 }
 
+/// True if the current branch has an upstream to pull from.
+///
+/// A repository being pushed for the first time has none, and `rev-parse`
+/// exits non-zero rather than printing anything.
+fn has_upstream(workspace: &Path) -> bool {
+    run_git(workspace, &["rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "--symbolic-full-name", "@{u}"]).0
+}
+
+/// The push for a branch, which has to set the upstream the first time.
+///
+/// Kept separate from running it so it can be asserted in tests, like
+/// [`origin_args`].
+pub fn push_args(branch: &str, has_upstream: bool) -> Vec<&str> {
+    if has_upstream {
+        vec!["push"]
+    } else {
+        vec!["push", "--set-upstream", "origin", branch]
+    }
+}
+
 /// The URL `origin` points at, if the remote exists.
 ///
 /// Read from the repository rather than from this app's settings: a remote
@@ -140,23 +160,22 @@ pub fn sync(workspace: &Path, message: &str) -> GitOutcome {
     }
 
     if has_origin(workspace) {
-        let (p_ok, p_out) = run_git(workspace, &["pull", "--rebase", "--autostash"]);
-        log.push_str(&p_out);
-        ok &= p_ok;
-
-        let (push_ok, push_out) = run_git(workspace, &["push"]);
-        log.push_str(&push_out);
-        // A failed push often just means no upstream is set yet; surface it but
-        // do not treat a missing upstream as a hard failure of the whole sync.
-        if !push_ok && push_out.contains("no upstream") {
-            let branch = current_branch(workspace);
-            let (u_ok, u_out) =
-                run_git(workspace, &["push", "--set-upstream", "origin", &branch]);
-            log.push_str(&u_out);
-            ok &= u_ok;
+        let upstream = has_upstream(workspace);
+        if upstream {
+            let (p_ok, p_out) = run_git(workspace, &["pull", "--rebase", "--autostash"]);
+            log.push_str(&p_out);
+            ok &= p_ok;
         } else {
-            ok &= push_ok;
+            // Nothing to rebase onto yet, and pulling anyway fails with "no
+            // tracking information" — which used to make a first sync report
+            // errors even though its push had gone through fine.
+            log.push_str("(no upstream branch yet — nothing to pull)\n");
         }
+
+        let branch = current_branch(workspace);
+        let (push_ok, push_out) = run_git(workspace, &push_args(&branch, upstream));
+        log.push_str(&push_out);
+        ok &= push_ok;
     } else {
         log.push_str("(no 'origin' remote configured — committed locally only)\n");
     }
@@ -208,6 +227,22 @@ fn strip_command_echo(text: &str) -> String {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_first_push_sets_the_upstream_and_later_ones_do_not() {
+        // Without this the first push fails with "has no upstream branch".
+        assert_eq!(
+            push_args("main", false),
+            vec!["push", "--set-upstream", "origin", "main"]
+        );
+        // Once it is set, a plain push is what respects the tracking config.
+        assert_eq!(push_args("main", true), vec!["push"]);
+        // Whatever the branch is actually called.
+        assert_eq!(
+            push_args("draft-2", false),
+            vec!["push", "--set-upstream", "origin", "draft-2"]
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn setting_a_remote_adds_it_only_when_it_is_missing() {
         // Fresh repository: the remote has to be created.