diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfigTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfigTest.java
index 140152662..4895d3cf1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfigTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfigTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (C) 2011, Robin Stocker <robin@nibor.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2012, Matthias Sohn <matthias.sohn@sap.com>
  * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
@@ -104,6 +105,45 @@ public class BranchConfigTest {
 		assertNull(branchConfig.getRemoteTrackingBranch());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void getTrackingBranchShouldReturnMergeBranchForLocalBranch() {
+		Config c = parse("" //
+				+ "[remote \"origin\"]\n"
+				+ "  fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*\n"
+				+ "[branch \"master\"]\n"
+				+ "  remote = .\n"
+				+ "  merge = refs/heads/master\n");
+
+		BranchConfig branchConfig = new BranchConfig(c, "master");
+		assertEquals("refs/heads/master",
+				branchConfig.getTrackingBranch());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getTrackingBranchShouldReturnNullWithoutMergeBranchForLocalBranch() {
+		Config c = parse("" //
+				+ "[remote \"origin\"]\n"
+				+ "  fetch = +refs/heads/onlyone:refs/remotes/origin/onlyone\n"
+				+ "[branch \"master\"]\n" //
+				+ "  remote = .\n");
+		BranchConfig branchConfig = new BranchConfig(c, "master");
+		assertNull(branchConfig.getTrackingBranch());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getTrackingBranchShouldHandleNormalCaseForRemoteTrackingBranch() {
+		Config c = parse("" //
+				+ "[remote \"origin\"]\n"
+				+ "  fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*\n"
+				+ "[branch \"master\"]\n"
+				+ "  remote = origin\n"
+				+ "  merge = refs/heads/master\n");
+
+		BranchConfig branchConfig = new BranchConfig(c, "master");
+		assertEquals("refs/remotes/origin/master",
+				branchConfig.getTrackingBranch());
+	}
+
 	private Config parse(final String content) {
 		final Config c = new Config(null);
 		try {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
index ae05fd95e..b0883e3f4 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (C) 2011, Robin Stocker <robin@nibor.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2012, Matthias Sohn <matthias.sohn@sap.com>
  * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
@@ -71,8 +72,25 @@ public class BranchConfig {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @return the full remote-tracking branch name or <code>null</code> if it
-	 *         could not be determined
+	 * @return the full tracking branch name or <code>null</code> if it could
+	 *         not be determined
+	 */
+	public String getTrackingBranch() {
+		String remote = getRemote();
+		String mergeRef = getMergeBranch();
+		if (remote == null || mergeRef == null)
+			return null;
+
+		if (remote.equals("."))
+			return mergeRef;
+
+		return findRemoteTrackingBranch(remote, mergeRef);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the full remote-tracking branch name or {@code null} if it could
+	 *         not be determined. If you also want local tracked branches use
+	 *         {@link #getTrackingBranch()} instead.
 	 */
 	public String getRemoteTrackingBranch() {
 		String remote = getRemote();
@@ -80,6 +98,20 @@ public class BranchConfig {
 		if (remote == null || mergeRef == null)
 			return null;
 
+		return findRemoteTrackingBranch(remote, mergeRef);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Finds the tracked remote tracking branch
+	 *
+	 * @param remote
+	 *            Remote name
+	 * @param mergeRef
+	 *            merge Ref of the local branch tracking the remote tracking
+	 *            branch
+	 * @return full remote tracking branch name or null
+	 */
+	private String findRemoteTrackingBranch(String remote, String mergeRef) {
 		RemoteConfig remoteConfig;
 		try {
 			remoteConfig = new RemoteConfig(config, remote);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchTrackingStatus.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchTrackingStatus.java
index 4d69e602e..7844fd819 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchTrackingStatus.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchTrackingStatus.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (C) 2011, Robin Stocker <robin@nibor.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2012, Matthias Sohn <matthias.sohn@sap.com>
  * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
@@ -72,11 +73,11 @@ public class BranchTrackingStatus {
 		BranchConfig branchConfig = new BranchConfig(repository.getConfig(),
 				branchName);
 
-		String remoteTrackingBranch = branchConfig.getRemoteTrackingBranch();
-		if (remoteTrackingBranch == null)
+		String trackingBranch = branchConfig.getTrackingBranch();
+		if (trackingBranch == null)
 			return null;
 
-		Ref tracking = repository.getRef(remoteTrackingBranch);
+		Ref tracking = repository.getRef(trackingBranch);
 		if (tracking == null)
 			return null;
 
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ public class BranchTrackingStatus {
 		int aheadCount = RevWalkUtils.count(walk, localCommit, mergeBase);
 		int behindCount = RevWalkUtils.count(walk, trackingCommit, mergeBase);
 
-		return new BranchTrackingStatus(remoteTrackingBranch, aheadCount, behindCount);
+		return new BranchTrackingStatus(trackingBranch, aheadCount, behindCount);
 	}
 
 	private final String remoteTrackingBranch;