jesseduffield/lazygit · warning

Cannot open a pull request for a branch with no upstream

Error message

Cannot open a pull request for a branch with no upstream

What it means

Returned by BranchesController.handleCreatePullRequest (branches_controller.go:453) via Tr.PullRequestNoUpstream. Creating a PR requires a remote branch to target; if the selected branch's IsTrackingRemote() is false (no upstream configured), lazygit cannot build the PR URL and reports this.

Source

Thrown at pkg/gui/controllers/branches_controller.go:453

}

func (self *BranchesController) promptToCheckoutWorktree(worktree *models.Worktree) error {
	prompt := utils.ResolvePlaceholderString(self.c.Tr.AlreadyCheckedOutByWorktree, map[string]string{
		"worktreeName": worktree.Name,
	})

	return self.c.ConfirmIf(!self.c.UserConfig().Gui.SkipSwitchWorktreeOnCheckoutWarning, types.ConfirmOpts{
		Title:  self.c.Tr.SwitchToWorktree,
		Prompt: prompt,
		HandleConfirm: func() error {
			return self.c.Helpers().Worktree.Switch(worktree, context.LOCAL_BRANCHES_CONTEXT_KEY)
		},
	})
}

func (self *BranchesController) handleCreatePullRequest(selectedBranch *models.Branch) error {
	if !selectedBranch.IsTrackingRemote() {
		return errors.New(self.c.Tr.PullRequestNoUpstream)
	}
	return self.createPullRequest(selectedBranch.UpstreamBranch, "")
}

func (self *BranchesController) handleCreatePullRequestMenu(selectedBranch *models.Branch) error {
	checkedOutBranch := self.c.Helpers().Refs.GetCheckedOutRef()

	return self.createPullRequestMenu(selectedBranch, checkedOutBranch)
}

func (self *BranchesController) getPullRequestURL() (string, error) {
	branch := self.context().GetSelected()
	if pr, ok := self.c.Model().PullRequestsMap[branch.Name]; ok {
		return pr.Url, nil
	}

	branchExistsOnRemote := self.c.Git().Remote.CheckRemoteBranchExists(branch.Name)

View on GitHub (pinned to c477a2959b)

Solutions

1. Push with upstream first: 'git push -u origin <branch>' (lazygit's push does this when the branch has no upstream)
2. Or set upstream manually: 'git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branch>' if the remote branch already exists
3. Then retry create pull request from the branches panel

Example fix

# shell fix
git push -u origin $(git branch --show-current)
# then retry 'o' on the branch in lazygit

func branchReadyForPR(b *models.Branch) bool {
    return b.IsTrackingRemote()
}

When it happens

Trigger: Pressing 'o'/'O' (create PR) on a locally created branch that was never pushed with -u, or whose upstream tracking was removed. IsTrackingRemote checks that Pushble/Trackable remote-tracking state exists.

Common situations: New feature branches created in lazygit but not yet pushed; branches after deleting the remote-tracking ref; working offline after cloning with --single-branch so other branches lack upstream config.

Related errors

• This branch doesn't exist on remote. You need to push it to
• Cannot fast-forward a branch with no upstream
• Must specify a remote if specifying a branch
• You have already checked out this branch
• Cannot fast-forward a branch whose remote is not registered

AI-assisted analysis of jesseduffield/lazygit@c477a2959b (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e64b196703eaf61c. Report an issue: GitHub.