diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index e5d6b100d7..30d7fdec83 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -1170,8 +1170,9 @@ struct branch *branch_get(const char *name)
 			for (i = 0; i < ret->merge_nr; i++) {
 				ret->merge[i] = xcalloc(1, sizeof(**ret->merge));
 				ret->merge[i]->src = xstrdup(ret->merge_name[i]);
-				remote_find_tracking(ret->remote,
-						     ret->merge[i]);
+				if (remote_find_tracking(ret->remote, ret->merge[i])
+				    && !strcmp(ret->remote_name, "."))
+					ret->merge[i]->dst = xstrdup(ret->merge_name[i]);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1450,6 +1451,8 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb)
 	base = branch->merge[0]->dst;
 	if (!prefixcmp(base, "refs/remotes/")) {
 		base += strlen("refs/remotes/");
+	} else if (!prefixcmp(base, "refs/heads/")) {
+		base += strlen("refs/heads/");
 	}
 	if (!num_theirs)
 		strbuf_addf(sb, "Your branch is ahead of '%s' "
diff --git a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
index 2a2b6b63d5..3d6db4d386 100755
--- a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
+++ b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ test_expect_success 'checkout' '
 	grep "have 1 and 1 different" actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'checkout with local tracked branch' '
+test_expect_success 'checkout with local tracked branch' '
 	git checkout master &&
 	git checkout follower >actual
 	grep "is ahead of" actual