diff --git a/builtin-branch.c b/builtin-branch.c
index d0179b0..4c42825 100644
--- a/builtin-branch.c
+++ b/builtin-branch.c
@@ -147,8 +147,21 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds)
 			error("Error deleting %sbranch '%s'", remote,
 			       argv[i]);
 			ret = 1;
-		} else
+		} else {
+			if (kinds == REF_LOCAL_BRANCH) {
+				/* Remove git-config keys.  */
+				char *config_key = xmalloc(strlen(argv[i]) + 15);
+				sprintf(config_key, "branch.%s.remote", argv[i]);
+				git_config_set(config_key, NULL);
+
+				sprintf(config_key, "branch.%s.merge", argv[i]);
+				git_config_set(config_key, NULL);
+				sprintf(config_key, "branch.%s", argv[i]);
+				git_config_set(config_key, NULL);
+			}
+
 			printf("Deleted %sbranch %s.\n", remote, argv[i]);
+		}
 
 	}
 
@@ -316,7 +330,7 @@ static void create_branch(const char *name, const char *start_name,
 	struct commit *commit;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
 	char ref[PATH_MAX], msg[PATH_MAX + 20];
-	int forcing = 0;
+	int forcing = 0, remote = 0;
 
 	snprintf(ref, sizeof ref, "refs/heads/%s", name);
 	if (check_ref_format(ref))
@@ -335,6 +349,13 @@ static void create_branch(const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		hashcpy(sha1, start_sha1);
 	else if (get_sha1(start_name, sha1))
 		die("Not a valid object name: '%s'.", start_name);
+	else {
+		unsigned char remote_sha1[20];
+		remote = strchr(start_name, '/')
+			 && read_ref(mkpath("refs/remotes/%s", start_name),
+				     remote_sha1) != -1
+			 && !memcmp(sha1, remote_sha1, 20);
+	}
 
 	if ((commit = lookup_commit_reference(sha1)) == NULL)
 		die("Not a valid branch point: '%s'.", start_name);
@@ -354,6 +375,23 @@ static void create_branch(const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		snprintf(msg, sizeof msg, "branch: Created from %s",
 			 start_name);
 
+	if (remote) {
+		/* Branching off a remote branch.  Set up so that git-pull
+		   automatically merges from there.  */
+		char *config_key = xmalloc(strlen(name) + 15);
+		char *merge_value = xmalloc(strlen(start_name) + 10);
+		char *slash = strchr(start_name, '/');
+
+		char *remote_value = xstrdup(start_name);
+		remote_value[slash - start_name] = 0;
+		sprintf(config_key, "branch.%s.remote", name);
+		git_config_set(config_key, remote_value);
+
+		sprintf(merge_value, "refs/heads/%s", slash + 1);
+		sprintf(config_key, "branch.%s.merge", name);
+		git_config_set(config_key, merge_value);
+	}
+
 	if (write_ref_sha1(lock, sha1, msg) < 0)
 		die("Failed to write ref: %s.", strerror(errno));
 }