diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go
index a63552377..54da42719 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/git.go
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 package sync
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/cli/cli/git"
 )
 
 type gitClient interface {
+	BranchRemote(string) (string, error)
 	Checkout([]string) error
 	CurrentBranch() (string, error)
 	Fetch([]string) error
@@ -17,8 +21,27 @@ type gitClient interface {
 
 type gitExecuter struct{}
 
+func (g *gitExecuter) BranchRemote(branch string) (string, error) {
+	args := append([]string{"rev-parse", "--symbolic-full-name", "--abbrev-ref", fmt.Sprintf("%s@{u}", branch)})
+	cmd, err := git.GitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	parts := strings.SplitN(string(out), "/", 2)
+	return parts[0], nil
+}
+
 func (g *gitExecuter) Checkout(args []string) error {
-	return git.CheckoutBranch(args[0])
+	args = append([]string{"checkout"}, args...)
+	cmd, err := git.GitCommand(args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return cmd.Run()
 }
 
 func (g *gitExecuter) CurrentBranch() (string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/mocks.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/mocks.go
index 3ef9b1dbc..fc66a2b30 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/mocks.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/mocks.go
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ type mockGitClient struct {
 	mock.Mock
 }
 
+func (g *mockGitClient) BranchRemote(a string) (string, error) {
+	args := g.Called(a)
+	return args.String(0), args.Error(1)
+}
+
 func (g *mockGitClient) Checkout(a []string) error {
 	args := g.Called(a)
 	return args.Error(0)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
index 23c6d1f11..9178e2a69 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync.go
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ func syncLocalRepo(opts *SyncOptions) error {
 		if errors.Is(err, divergingError) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("can't sync because there are diverging changes, you can use `--force` to overwrite the changes")
 		}
+		if errors.Is(err, mismatchRemotesError) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("can't sync because %s is not tracking %s", opts.Branch, ghrepo.FullName(srcRepo))
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@ func syncRemoteRepo(opts *SyncOptions) error {
 }
 
 var divergingError = errors.New("diverging changes")
+var mismatchRemotesError = errors.New("branch remote does not match specified source")
 
 func executeLocalRepoSync(srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, remote string, opts *SyncOptions) error {
 	git := opts.Git
@@ -244,6 +248,11 @@ func executeLocalRepoSync(srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, remote string, opts *SyncOpt
 
 	hasLocalBranch := git.HasLocalBranch([]string{branch})
 	if hasLocalBranch {
+		branchRemote, err := git.BranchRemote(branch)
+		if branchRemote != remote {
+			return mismatchRemotesError
+		}
+
 		fastForward, err := git.IsAncestor([]string{branch, fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", remote, branch)})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -259,9 +268,16 @@ func executeLocalRepoSync(srcRepo ghrepo.Interface, remote string, opts *SyncOpt
 		return err
 	}
 	if startBranch != branch {
-		err = git.Checkout([]string{branch})
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+		if hasLocalBranch {
+			err = git.Checkout([]string{branch})
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		} else {
+			err = git.Checkout([]string{"--track", fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", remote, branch)})
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if hasLocalBranch {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
index 237d7cadd..d2feb4f85 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/sync/sync_test.go
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "origin/trunk"}).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("trunk", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Merge", []string{"--ff-only", "refs/remotes/origin/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "origin/trunk"}).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("trunk", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Merge", []string{"--ff-only", "refs/remotes/origin/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"upstream", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("upstream", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "upstream/trunk"}).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("trunk", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Merge", []string{"--ff-only", "refs/remotes/upstream/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
@@ -181,6 +184,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/test"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"test"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "test").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"test", "origin/test"}).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("test", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Merge", []string{"--ff-only", "refs/remotes/origin/test"}).Return(nil).Once()
@@ -202,6 +206,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "origin/trunk"}).Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("trunk", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Reset", []string{"--hard", "refs/remotes/origin/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
@@ -221,11 +226,30 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "origin/trunk"}).Return(false, nil).Once()
 			},
 			wantErr: true,
 			errMsg:  "can't sync because there are diverging changes, you can use `--force` to overwrite the changes",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "sync local repo with parent and mismatching branch remotes",
+			tty:  true,
+			opts: &SyncOptions{},
+			httpStubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
+				reg.Register(
+					httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryInfo\b`),
+					httpmock.StringResponse(`{"data":{"repository":{"defaultBranchRef":{"name": "trunk"}}}}`))
+			},
+			gitStubs: func(mgc *mockGitClient) {
+				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
+				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
+				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("upstream", nil).Once()
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+			errMsg:  "can't sync because trunk is not tracking OWNER/REPO",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "sync local repo with parent and local changes",
 			tty:  true,
@@ -249,6 +273,7 @@ func Test_SyncRun(t *testing.T) {
 				mgc.On("IsDirty").Return(false, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Fetch", []string{"origin", "+refs/heads/trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("HasLocalBranch", []string{"trunk"}).Return(true).Once()
+				mgc.On("BranchRemote", "trunk").Return("origin", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("IsAncestor", []string{"trunk", "origin/trunk"}).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("CurrentBranch").Return("test", nil).Once()
 				mgc.On("Checkout", []string{"trunk"}).Return(nil).Once()