diff --git a/git/git.go b/git/git.go
index afa9ccf0f..abff866d6 100644
--- a/git/git.go
+++ b/git/git.go
@@ -368,30 +368,3 @@ func getBranchShortName(output []byte) string {
 	branch := firstLine(output)
 	return strings.TrimPrefix(branch, "refs/heads/")
 }
-
-func IsAncestor(ancestor, commit string) (bool, error) {
-	cmd, err := GitCommand("merge-base", "--is-ancestor", ancestor, commit)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	err = run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
-	return err == nil, nil
-}
-
-func IsDirty() (bool, error) {
-	cmd, err := GitCommand("status", "--untracked-files=no", "--porcelain")
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-
-	output, err := run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Output()
-	if err != nil {
-		return true, err
-	}
-
-	if len(output) > 0 {
-		return true, nil
-	}
-
-	return false, nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d0148d67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package sync
+
+import (
+	"os/exec"
+
+	"github.com/cli/cli/git"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/run"
+)
+
+type gitClient interface {
+	Checkout([]string) error
+	CurrentBranch() (string, error)
+	Fetch([]string) error
+	HasLocalBranch([]string) bool
+	IsAncestor([]string) (bool, error)
+	IsDirty() (bool, error)
+	Merge([]string) error
+	Reset([]string) error
+	Stash([]string) error
+}
+
+type gitExecuter struct {
+	gitCommand func(args ...string) (*exec.Cmd, error)
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) Checkout(args []string) error {
+	return git.CheckoutBranch(args[0])
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) CurrentBranch() (string, error) {
+	return git.CurrentBranch()
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) Fetch(args []string) error {
+	args = append([]string{"fetch"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) HasLocalBranch(args []string) bool {
+	return git.HasLocalBranch(args[0])
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) IsAncestor(args []string) (bool, error) {
+	args = append([]string{"merge-base", "--is-ancestor"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	err = run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
+	return err == nil, nil
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) IsDirty() (bool, error) {
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand("status", "--untracked-files=no", "--porcelain")
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	output, err := run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
+	if len(output) > 0 {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) Merge(args []string) error {
+	args = append([]string{"merge"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) Reset(args []string) error {
+	args = append([]string{"reset"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
+}
+
+func (g *gitExecuter) Stash(args []string) error {
+	args = append([]string{"stash"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := g.gitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
index e6d5a891a..46fbb8f4b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
@@ -13,11 +12,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cli/cli/context"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/git"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/ghrepo"
-	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/run"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/iostreams"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/prompt"
-	"github.com/cli/safeexec"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -27,6 +24,7 @@ type SyncOptions struct {
 	BaseRepo      func() (ghrepo.Interface, error)
 	Remotes       func() (context.Remotes, error)
 	CurrentBranch func() (string, error)
+	Git           gitClient
 	DestArg       string
 	SrcArg        string
 	Branch        string
@@ -41,6 +39,7 @@ func NewCmdSync(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*SyncOptions) error) *cobra.Comman
 		BaseRepo:      f.BaseRepo,
 		Remotes:       f.Remotes,
 		CurrentBranch: f.Branch,
+		Git:           &gitExecuter{gitCommand: git.GitCommand},
 	}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
@@ -202,12 +201,16 @@ func syncLocalRepo(srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts *SyncOptions) error {
 	}
 	remote := remotes[0]
 	branch := opts.Branch
+	git := opts.Git
 
-	_ = executeCmds([][]string{{"git", "fetch", remote.Name, fmt.Sprintf("+refs/heads/%s", branch)}})
+	err = git.Fetch([]string{remote.Name, fmt.Sprintf("+refs/heads/%s", branch)})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	hasLocalBranch := git.HasLocalBranch(branch)
+	hasLocalBranch := git.HasLocalBranch([]string{branch})
 	if hasLocalBranch {
-		fastForward, err := git.IsAncestor(branch, fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", remote.Name, branch))
+		fastForward, err := git.IsAncestor([]string{branch, fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", remote.Name, branch)})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -217,38 +220,54 @@ func syncLocalRepo(srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts *SyncOptions) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	startBranch, err := opts.CurrentBranch()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	dirtyRepo, err := git.IsDirty()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	startBranch, err := git.CurrentBranch()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	var cmds [][]string
 	if dirtyRepo {
-		cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "stash", "push"})
-	}
-	if startBranch != branch {
-		cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "checkout", branch})
-	}
-	if hasLocalBranch {
-		if opts.Force {
-			cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "reset", "--hard", fmt.Sprintf("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote, branch)})
-		} else {
-			cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "merge", "--ff-only", fmt.Sprintf("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote, branch)})
+		err = git.Stash([]string{"push"})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 	if startBranch != branch {
-		cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "checkout", startBranch})
+		err = git.Checkout([]string{branch})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	if hasLocalBranch {
+		if opts.Force {
+			err = git.Reset([]string{"--hard", fmt.Sprintf("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote, branch)})
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		} else {
+			err = git.Merge([]string{"--ff-only", fmt.Sprintf("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote, branch)})
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if startBranch != branch {
+		err = git.Checkout([]string{startBranch})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	if dirtyRepo {
-		cmds = append(cmds, []string{"git", "stash", "pop"})
+		err = git.Stash([]string{"pop"})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
-	return executeCmds(cmds)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func syncRemoteRepo(client *api.Client, destRepo, srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts *SyncOptions) error {
@@ -270,17 +289,3 @@ func syncRemoteRepo(client *api.Client, destRepo, srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts
 
 	return err
 }
-
-func executeCmds(cmdQueue [][]string) error {
-	exe, err := safeexec.LookPath("git")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, args := range cmdQueue {
-		cmd := exec.Command(exe, args[1:]...)
-		if err := run.PrepareCmd(cmd).Run(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
index 85d213ad8..e3092642d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ func TestNewCmdSync(t *testing.T) {
 		input    string
 		output   SyncOptions
 		wantsErr bool
+		errMsg   string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:   "no argument",
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func TestNewCmdSync(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:      false,
 			input:    "",
 			wantsErr: true,
+			errMsg:   "`--confirm` required when not running interactively",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ func TestNewCmdSync(t *testing.T) {
 			_, err = cmd.ExecuteC()
 			if tt.wantsErr {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, tt.errMsg, err.Error())
 				return
 			}