diff --git a/spec/base.js b/spec/base.js
index 3a90c1bf..2457adc3 100644
--- a/spec/base.js
+++ b/spec/base.js
@@ -48,11 +48,15 @@ var expectLevelAsync = function(headless, levelBlob) {
   }, 'trees should be equal', TIME);
 };
 
-var expectTreeAsync = function(command, expectedJSON) {
+var expectTreeAsync = function(command, expectedJSON, startJSON) {
   var headless = new HeadlessGit();
   var start = Date.now();
   var haveReported = false;
 
+  if (startJSON) {
+    headless.gitEngine.loadTreeFromString(startJSON);
+  }
+
   runs(function() {
     headless.sendCommand(command);
   });
diff --git a/spec/remote.spec.js b/spec/remote.spec.js
index 59d0b36c..c9270a3a 100644
--- a/spec/remote.spec.js
+++ b/spec/remote.spec.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ describe('Git Remotes', function() {
   it('pushes to another remote', function() {
     expectTreeAsync(
       'git branch side; git clone;git commit; git push origin HEAD:side',
-      '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C2","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/master"},"side":{"target":"C1","id":"side","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/side"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"o/side":{"target":"C2","id":"o/side","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"side":{"target":"master","id":"side","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"}}}'
+      '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C2","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/master"},"side":{"target":"C1","id":"side","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/side"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"o/side":{"target":"C2","id":"o/side","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"side":{"target":"C2","id":"side","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"}}}'
     );
   });
 
@@ -275,5 +275,13 @@ describe('Git Remotes', function() {
     );
   });
 
+  it('correclty checks upstream when pushing to a remote where commits already exist but branch is not updated DAYAM dawg', function() {
+    expectTreeAsync(
+      'git push origin master^:master',
+      '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C9","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/master"},"foo":{"target":"C8","id":"foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/foo"},"o/master":{"target":"C5","id":"o/master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"o/foo":{"target":"C5","id":"o/foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C3":{"parents":["C2"],"id":"C3"},"C4":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C4"},"C5":{"parents":["C2","C4"],"id":"C5"},"C6":{"parents":["C4"],"id":"C6"},"C7":{"parents":["C6"],"id":"C7"},"C8":{"parents":["C5","C7"],"id":"C8"},"C9":{"parents":["C5"],"id":"C9"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C5","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"foo":{"target":"C5","id":"foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C4":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C4"},"C5":{"parents":["C2","C4"],"id":"C5"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"}}}',
+      '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C9","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/master"},"foo":{"target":"C8","id":"foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/foo"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"o/foo":{"target":"C5","id":"o/foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C3":{"parents":["C2"],"id":"C3"},"C4":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C4"},"C5":{"parents":["C2","C4"],"id":"C5"},"C6":{"parents":["C4"],"id":"C6"},"C7":{"parents":["C6"],"id":"C7"},"C8":{"parents":["C5","C7"],"id":"C8"},"C9":{"parents":["C5"],"id":"C9"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"foo":{"target":"C5","id":"foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C4":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C4"},"C5":{"parents":["C2","C4"],"id":"C5"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"}}}'
+    );
+  });
+
 });
 
diff --git a/src/js/git/index.js b/src/js/git/index.js
index c6ddebec..b000f8bd 100644
--- a/src/js/git/index.js
+++ b/src/js/git/index.js
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ GitEngine.prototype.getTargetGraphDifference = function(
   var sourceTree = source.exportTree();
   var sourceStartCommitJSON = sourceTree.commits[sourceStartCommit.get('id')];
 
-  if (target.refs[sourceStartCommitJSON.id]) {
+  if (targetSet[sourceStartCommitJSON.id]) {
     // either we throw since theres no work to be done, or we return an empty array
     if (options.dontThrowOnNoFetch) {
       return [];