diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index 958f034c86..403b463b0c 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -194,10 +194,10 @@ mergeLocal (Just branch) = go =<< needmerge
 	syncbranch = syncBranch branch
 	needmerge = ifM isBareRepo
 		( return False
-		, do
-			unlessM (inRepo $ Git.Ref.exists syncbranch) $
-				inRepo $ updateBranch syncbranch
-			inRepo $ Git.Branch.changed branch syncbranch
+		, ifM (inRepo $ Git.Ref.exists syncbranch)
+			( inRepo $ Git.Branch.changed branch syncbranch
+			, return False
+			)
 		)
 	go False = stop
 	go True = do
@@ -254,7 +254,8 @@ mergeRemote remote b = ifM isBareRepo
 		Nothing -> do
 			branch <- inRepo Git.Branch.currentUnsafe
 			and <$> mapM (merge Nothing) (branchlist branch)
-		Just thisbranch ->
+		Just thisbranch -> do
+			inRepo $ updateBranch $ syncBranch thisbranch
 			and <$> (mapM (merge (Just thisbranch)) =<< tomerge (branchlist b))
 	)
   where
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e8264a4a94..45619ea2ab 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ git-annex (5.20150618) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * On linux, pass --as-needed to linker to avoid linking with unused
     shared libraries including libyaml.
   * import: Fix failure of cross-device import on Windows.
+  * merge: Avoid creating the synced/master branch.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:31:14 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/forum/annex_merge_creates___34__synced__47____42____34___branches/comment_5_39009651c3f65e2ecd225e17d157c8d8._comment b/doc/forum/annex_merge_creates___34__synced__47____42____34___branches/comment_5_39009651c3f65e2ecd225e17d157c8d8._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..488f3ae7b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/forum/annex_merge_creates___34__synced__47____42____34___branches/comment_5_39009651c3f65e2ecd225e17d157c8d8._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 5"""
+ date="2015-07-07T19:20:17Z"
+ content="""
+So, I was wrong about `git annex merge` creating the synced/master branch.
+
+There's no good reason for it to do that, so I've fixed it not to create
+it.
+"""]]