+{
+	if (!sti) {
  		strbuf_addf(sb,
  			_("Your branch is up to date with '%s'.\n"),
-			base);
+			branch_name);
  	} else if (abf == AHEAD_BEHIND_QUICK) {
  		strbuf_addf(sb,
  			    _("Your branch and '%s' refer to different commits.\n"),
-			    base);
+			    branch_name);
  		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
  			strbuf_addf(sb, _("  (use \"%s\" for details)\n"),
  				    "git status --ahead-behind");

@@ -2281,7 +2260,7 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
  			Q_("Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commit.\n",
  			   "Your branch is ahead of '%s' by %d commits.\n",
  			   ours),
-			base, ours);
+			branch_name, ours);
  		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
  			strbuf_addstr(sb,
  				_("  (use \"git push\" to publish your local commits)\n"));

@@ -2292,7 +2271,7 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
  			   "Your branch is behind '%s' by %d commits, "
  			       "and can be fast-forwarded.\n",
  			   theirs),
-			base, theirs);
+			branch_name, theirs);
  		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
  			strbuf_addstr(sb,
  				_("  (use \"git pull\" to update your local branch)\n"));

@@ -2305,12 +2284,47 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
  			       "and have %d and %d different commits each, "
  			       "respectively.\n",
  			   ours + theirs),
-			base, ours, theirs);
+			branch_name, ours, theirs);
  		if (show_divergence_advice &&
  		    advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
  			strbuf_addstr(sb,
  				_("  (use \"git pull\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"));
  	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Return true when there is anything to report, otherwise false.
+ */
+int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
+			 enum ahead_behind_flags abf,
+			 int show_divergence_advice)
+{
+	int ours, theirs, sti;
+	const char *full_base;
+	char *base;
+	int upstream_is_gone = 0;
+
+	sti = stat_tracking_info(branch, &ours, &theirs, &full_base, 0, abf);
+	if (sti < 0) {
+		if (!full_base)
+			return 0;
+		upstream_is_gone = 1;
+	}
+
+	base = refs_shorten_unambiguous_ref(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
+					    full_base, 0);
+
+	if (upstream_is_gone) {
+		strbuf_addf(sb,
+			_("Your branch is based on '%s', but the upstream is gone.\n"),
+			base);
+		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
+			strbuf_addstr(sb,
+				_("  (use \"git branch --unset-upstream\" to fixup)\n"));
+	} else {
+		format_branch_comparison(sb, sti, ours, theirs, base, abf, show_divergence_advice);
+	}
+
  	free(base);
  	return 1;
  }