DEV Community

Cover image for Day 13/30 - Git Pull --rebase: Keep Your History Linear When Pulling Changes
Ruqaiya Beguwala
Ruqaiya Beguwala

Posted on • Originally published at Medium

Day 13/30 - Git Pull --rebase: Keep Your History Linear When Pulling Changes

#webdev #programming #git #productivity

Introduction

When working with Git, keeping a clean and linear commit history makes collaboration easier. By default, git pull performs a merge, which can create unnecessary merge commits and clutter your history.

A better alternative is git pull --rebase, which rewinds your local changes, applies the latest remote changes, and then replays your commits on top. This keeps your history linear and easier to follow.

In this guide, we'll explore how git pull --rebase works, when to use it, and some best practices to avoid common pitfalls.

How git pull --rebase Works

Normally, git pull does two things:

  1. Fetches changes from the remote (git fetch).
  2. Merges them into your branch (git merge), creating a merge commit.

With git pull --rebase, Git:

  1. Fetches the latest changes (git fetch).
  2. Temporarily removes your local commits.
  3. Applies the remote changes.
  4. Replays your commits on top of the updated branch.

This results in a straight-line history without extra merge commits.

Example: Using git pull --rebase

Let's say you're working on a branch feature/login and your teammate has pushed new commits to the remote.

Without Rebase (Default Merge Behavior) 

git pull origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This creates a merge commit, making history look like:

* Merge branch 'main' into feature/login |\ | * Commit from teammate * | Your local commit |/ * Previous commit
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

With Rebase (Linear History) 

git pull --rebase origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Now, history stays linear:

* Your local commit (reapplied on top) * Commit from teammate * Previous commit
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Advanced Use Cases for git pull --rebase

While git pull --rebase is great for keeping a linear history, it can be even more powerful when used in advanced workflows. Here are some scenarios where it shines beyond basic branch synchronization.

1. Maintaining a Clean Main/Master Branch

If you enforce a linear history policy on your main branch (common in CI/CD workflows), using --rebase ensures no merge commits sneak in.

Workflow:

  • Before pushing to main, always rebase: 
 git checkout main git pull --rebase origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  • Resolve any conflicts.
  • Push your changes (may require --force-with-lease if already pushed).

✅ Benefit: Ensures main stays clean and bisectable.

2. Stacked Pull Requests (Dependent Branches)

If you work with dependent feature branches (e.g., feature/A depends on feature/B), rebasing helps keep them in sync.

Example:

  • You have:
    • feature/login (depends on feature/auth)
    • feature/auth is updated remotely

Instead of merging feature/auth into feature/login (creating a merge commit), rebase:

git checkout feature/login git pull --rebase origin feature/auth
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

✅ Benefit: Maintains a clean dependency chain without merge noise.

3. Interactive Rebase Before Pushing

Combine git pull --rebase with interactive rebase (git rebase -i) to:

  • Squash commits
  • Reword messages
  • Drop unnecessary commits

Workflow:

  • Pull the latest changes with rebase: 
 git pull --rebase origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  • Start an interactive rebase: 
 git rebase -i HEAD~3 # Adjust number as needed
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  • Clean up commits before pushing.

✅ Benefit: Delivers a polished commit history to reviewers.

4. Avoiding "Merge Bubble" Hell in Long-Running Branches

If your branch lives for weeks/months, frequent git pull (merge style) creates a messy history:

* Merge branch 'main' into feature |\ | * Commit from main * | Your old commit | * Another main commit * | Your newer commit |/
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Solution:

Instead, periodically:

git checkout feature git pull --rebase origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This keeps your branch linear:

* Your newer commit * Your old commit * Another main commit * Commit from main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

✅ Benefit: Makes git log --graph readable and simplifies conflict resolution.

5. Recovering from a Force-Pushed Upstream Branch

If someone force-pushes to main, a normal git pull may fail. Rebase handles this gracefully:

Steps:

  • Fetch the latest (force-updated) main: 
 git fetch origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  • Rebase your work on top: 
 git rebase origin/mai
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

(Or use git pull --rebase directly.)

✅ Benefit: Avoids "diverged branch" errors and keeps you aligned with upstream.

Pro Tips for Advanced Users

1. --autostash for Dirty Working Directories

Automatically stash/unstash changes when rebasing:

git pull --rebase --autostash origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2. Rebase Onto a Different Branch

Need to move your commits to a new base? Use:

git rebase --onto new-base old-base your-branch
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. --fork-point for Safer Rebasing

Git can sometimes lose track of original commit relationships. Use:

git pull --rebase --fork-point origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

to let Git intelligently find where your branch diverged.

When NOT to Use git pull --rebase

Avoid in these cases:

  • Shared branches with multiple collaborators (rebasing published history forces others to fix their repos).
  • Branches with tagged releases (rebasing changes commit hashes, breaking tags).
  • When merge commits are desirable (e.g., for tracking big feature integrations).

Conclusion

git pull --rebase isn't just for beginners---it's a key tool for advanced Git workflows. Whether you're:

  • Maintaining a pristine main branch,
  • Managing stacked PRs,
  • Cleaning up pre-push history,
  • Or rescuing force-pushed branches,

Rebase keeps your history linear, readable, and conflict-friendly.

Further Reading

Up Next in the Series: git reset --soft/hard/mixed – Undo commits at different levels.

Daily advance GIT tips in your inbox—worth starting? Respond to my poll here🚀

For more useful and innovative tips and tricks, Let's connect on Medium

Top comments (0)