diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync.go
index ab6942d05..4ac1a5c1f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package git_commands
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/gocui"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/commands/oscommands"
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ func NewSyncCommands(gitCommon *GitCommon) *SyncCommands {
 type PushOpts struct {
 	Force          bool
 	ForceWithLease bool
+	CurrentBranch  string
 	UpstreamRemote string
 	UpstreamBranch string
 	SetUpstream    bool
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ func (self *SyncCommands) PushCmdObj(task gocui.Task, opts PushOpts) (oscommands
 		ArgIf(opts.ForceWithLease, "--force-with-lease").
 		ArgIf(opts.SetUpstream, "--set-upstream").
 		ArgIf(opts.UpstreamRemote != "", opts.UpstreamRemote).
-		ArgIf(opts.UpstreamBranch != "", "HEAD:"+opts.UpstreamBranch).
+		ArgIf(opts.UpstreamBranch != "", fmt.Sprintf("refs/heads/%s:%s", opts.CurrentBranch, opts.UpstreamBranch)).
 		ToArgv()
 
 	cmdObj := self.cmd.New(cmdArgs).PromptOnCredentialRequest(task)
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync_test.go
index 183912c31..d22147627 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/sync_test.go
@@ -44,11 +44,12 @@ func TestSyncPush(t *testing.T) {
 			testName: "Push with force disabled, upstream supplied",
 			opts: PushOpts{
 				ForceWithLease: false,
+				CurrentBranch:  "master",
 				UpstreamRemote: "origin",
 				UpstreamBranch: "master",
 			},
 			test: func(cmdObj oscommands.ICmdObj, err error) {
-				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "origin", "HEAD:master"})
+				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "origin", "refs/heads/master:master"})
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
 			},
 		},
@@ -56,12 +57,13 @@ func TestSyncPush(t *testing.T) {
 			testName: "Push with force disabled, setting upstream",
 			opts: PushOpts{
 				ForceWithLease: false,
+				CurrentBranch:  "master-local",
 				UpstreamRemote: "origin",
 				UpstreamBranch: "master",
 				SetUpstream:    true,
 			},
 			test: func(cmdObj oscommands.ICmdObj, err error) {
-				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "--set-upstream", "origin", "HEAD:master"})
+				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "--set-upstream", "origin", "refs/heads/master-local:master"})
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
 			},
 		},
@@ -69,12 +71,13 @@ func TestSyncPush(t *testing.T) {
 			testName: "Push with force-with-lease enabled, setting upstream",
 			opts: PushOpts{
 				ForceWithLease: true,
+				CurrentBranch:  "master",
 				UpstreamRemote: "origin",
 				UpstreamBranch: "master",
 				SetUpstream:    true,
 			},
 			test: func(cmdObj oscommands.ICmdObj, err error) {
-				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "--force-with-lease", "--set-upstream", "origin", "HEAD:master"})
+				assert.Equal(t, cmdObj.Args(), []string{"git", "push", "--force-with-lease", "--set-upstream", "origin", "refs/heads/master:master"})
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/sync_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/sync_controller.go
index a6140d9d0..66c480b93 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/sync_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/sync_controller.go
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ func (self *SyncController) pushAux(currentBranch *models.Branch, opts pushOpts)
 			git_commands.PushOpts{
 				Force:          opts.force,
 				ForceWithLease: opts.forceWithLease,
+				CurrentBranch:  currentBranch.Name,
 				UpstreamRemote: opts.upstreamRemote,
 				UpstreamBranch: opts.upstreamBranch,
 				SetUpstream:    opts.setUpstream,