diff --git a/Branch.hs b/Branch.hs
index fad024550f..3f5e0ee1ec 100644
--- a/Branch.hs
+++ b/Branch.hs
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ module Branch (
 	get,
 	change,
 	commit,
-	files
+	files,
+	refExists,
+	hasOrigin,
+	name	
 ) where
 
 import Control.Monad (unless, when, liftM)
@@ -44,6 +47,10 @@ name = "git-annex"
 fullname :: String
 fullname = "refs/heads/" ++ name
 
+{- Branch's name in origin. -}
+originname :: String
+originname = "origin/" ++ name
+
 {- Converts a fully qualified git ref into a short version for human
  - consumptiom. -}
 shortref :: String -> String
@@ -114,20 +121,14 @@ getCache file = getState >>= handle
 {- Creates the branch, if it does not already exist. -}
 create :: Annex ()
 create = do
-	exists <- refexists fullname
+	exists <- refExists fullname
 	unless exists $ do
 		g <- Annex.gitRepo
-		inorigin <- refexists origin
-		if inorigin
-			then liftIO $ Git.run g "branch" [Param name, Param origin]
+		e <- hasOrigin
+		if e
+			then liftIO $ Git.run g "branch" [Param name, Param originname]
 			else withIndex' True $
 				liftIO $ GitUnionMerge.commit g "branch created" fullname []
-	where
-		origin = "origin/" ++ name
-		refexists ref = do
-			g <- Annex.gitRepo
-			liftIO $ Git.runBool g "show-ref"
-				[Param "--verify", Param "-q", Param ref]
 
 {- Stages the journal, and commits staged changes to the branch. -}
 commit :: String -> Annex ()
@@ -164,6 +165,17 @@ update = do
 		Annex.changeState $ \s -> s { Annex.branchstate = state { branchUpdated = True } }
 		invalidateCache
 
+{- Does origin/git-annex exist? -}
+hasOrigin :: Annex Bool
+hasOrigin = refExists originname
+
+{- Checks if a git ref exists. -}
+refExists :: String -> Annex Bool
+refExists ref = do
+	g <- Annex.gitRepo
+	liftIO $ Git.runBool g "show-ref"
+		[Param "--verify", Param "-q", Param ref]
+
 {- Ensures that a given ref has been merged into the index. -}
 updateRef :: String -> Annex (Maybe String)
 updateRef ref
diff --git a/Upgrade/V2.hs b/Upgrade/V2.hs
index 2372edb3db..8eab236ff5 100644
--- a/Upgrade/V2.hs
+++ b/Upgrade/V2.hs
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ module Upgrade.V2 where
 
 import System.Directory
 import System.FilePath
-import Control.Monad.State (liftIO)
-import Control.Monad.State (unless)
+import Control.Monad.State (unless, liftIO)
 import List
 import Data.Maybe
 
@@ -58,12 +57,7 @@ upgrade = do
 		unless bare $ gitAttributesUnWrite g
 
 	saveState
-
-	unless bare $ do
-		showLongNote $
-			"git-annex branch created\n" ++
-			"Now you should push the new branch: git push origin git-annex\n"
-		showProgress
+	unless bare $ push
 
 	return True
 
@@ -90,6 +84,36 @@ logFiles :: FilePath -> Annex [FilePath]
 logFiles dir = return . filter (".log" `isSuffixOf`)
 		=<< liftIO (getDirectoryContents dir)
 
+push :: Annex ()
+push = do
+	origin_master <- Branch.refExists "origin/master"
+	origin_gitannex <- Branch.hasOrigin
+	case (origin_master, origin_gitannex) of
+		(_, True) -> do
+			-- Merge in the origin's git-annex branch,
+			-- so that pushing the git-annex branch
+			-- will immediately work. Not pushed here,
+			-- because it's less obnoxious to let the user
+			-- push.
+			Branch.update
+		(True, False) -> do
+			-- push git-annex to origin, so that
+			-- "git push" will from then on
+			-- automatically push it
+			Branch.update -- just in case
+			showNote "pushing new git-annex branch to origin"
+			showProgress
+			g <- Annex.gitRepo
+			liftIO $ Git.run g "push" [Param "origin", Param Branch.name]
+		_ -> do
+			-- no origin exists, so just let the user
+			-- know about the new branch
+			Branch.update
+			showLongNote $
+				"git-annex branch created\n" ++
+				"Be sure to push this branch when pushing to remotes.\n"
+			showProgress
+
 {- Old .gitattributes contents, not needed anymore. -}
 attrLines :: [String]
 attrLines =
@@ -110,4 +134,3 @@ stateDir :: FilePath
 stateDir = addTrailingPathSeparator $ ".git-annex"
 gitStateDir :: Git.Repo -> FilePath
 gitStateDir repo = addTrailingPathSeparator $ Git.workTree repo </> stateDir
-
diff --git a/doc/upgrades.mdwn b/doc/upgrades.mdwn
index f83a8c9477..337c65767a 100644
--- a/doc/upgrades.mdwn
+++ b/doc/upgrades.mdwn
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ Example upgrade process:
 	git pull
 	git annex upgrade
 	git commit -m "upgrade v2 to v3"
-	git push origin git-annex master
 	git gc
 
 ### v1 -> v2 (git-annex version 0.20110316)