diff --git a/IkiWiki/Rcs/git.pm b/IkiWiki/Rcs/git.pm
index 8f75399f8..c436deb4d 100644
--- a/IkiWiki/Rcs/git.pm
+++ b/IkiWiki/Rcs/git.pm
@@ -285,7 +285,9 @@ sub git_sha1 (;$) { #{{{
 sub rcs_update () { #{{{
 	# Update working directory.
 
-	run_or_cry('git-pull', $config{gitorigin_branch});
+	if (length $config{gitorigin_branch}) {
+		run_or_cry('git-pull', $config{gitorigin_branch});
+	}
 } #}}}
 
 sub rcs_prepedit ($) { #{{{
@@ -335,7 +337,9 @@ sub rcs_commit ($$$;$$) { #{{{
 	$message = possibly_foolish_untaint($message);
 	if (run_or_non('git-commit', '-m', $message, '-i', $file)) {
 		unlockwiki();
-		run_or_cry('git-push', $config{gitorigin_branch});
+		if (length $config{gitorigin_branch}) {
+			run_or_cry('git-push', $config{gitorigin_branch});
+		}
 	}
 
 	return undef; # success
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 03c308831..196de0b7a 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 ikiwiki (2.11) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   * Correct a pair of logic errors that triggered if svnpath was empty.
+  * If gitorigin_branch is set to the empty string, don't push or pull.
+    Useful for laptop clones of remote wikis.
 
- -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:49:40 -0400
+ -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:28:16 -0400
 
 ikiwiki (2.10) unstable; urgency=low