diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 0539fda85a..a8f59ef30d 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ static void fill_tracking_info(struct strbuf *stat, const char *branch_name,
 	struct branch *branch = branch_get(branch_name);
 	struct strbuf fancy = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int upstream_is_gone = 0;
+	int added_decoration = 1;
 
 	switch (stat_tracking_info(branch, &ours, &theirs)) {
 	case 0:
@@ -451,9 +452,13 @@ static void fill_tracking_info(struct strbuf *stat, const char *branch_name,
 	if (upstream_is_gone) {
 		if (show_upstream_ref)
 			strbuf_addf(stat, _("[%s: gone]"), fancy.buf);
+		else
+			added_decoration = 0;
 	} else if (!ours && !theirs) {
 		if (show_upstream_ref)
 			strbuf_addf(stat, _("[%s]"), fancy.buf);
+		else
+			added_decoration = 0;
 	} else if (!ours) {
 		if (show_upstream_ref)
 			strbuf_addf(stat, _("[%s: behind %d]"), fancy.buf, theirs);
@@ -474,7 +479,8 @@ static void fill_tracking_info(struct strbuf *stat, const char *branch_name,
 				    ours, theirs);
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&fancy);
-	strbuf_addch(stat, ' ');
+	if (added_decoration)
+		strbuf_addch(stat, ' ');
 	free(ref);
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
index ba26cfe923..7ac8fd06c3 100755
--- a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
+++ b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	advance h
 '
 
-script='s/^..\(b.\)[	 0-9a-f]*\[\([^]]*\)\].*/\1 \2/p'
+script='s/^..\(b.\) *[0-9a-f]* \(.*\)$/\1 \2/p'
 cat >expect <<\EOF
-b1 ahead 1, behind 1
-b2 ahead 1, behind 1
-b3 behind 1
-b4 ahead 2
+b1 [ahead 1, behind 1] d
+b2 [ahead 1, behind 1] d
+b3 [behind 1] b
+b4 [ahead 2] f
+b5 g
+b6 c
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'branch -v' '
@@ -57,12 +59,12 @@ test_expect_success 'branch -v' '
 '
 
 cat >expect <<\EOF
-b1 origin/master: ahead 1, behind 1
-b2 origin/master: ahead 1, behind 1
-b3 origin/master: behind 1
-b4 origin/master: ahead 2
-b5 brokenbase: gone
-b6 origin/master
+b1 [origin/master: ahead 1, behind 1] d
+b2 [origin/master: ahead 1, behind 1] d
+b3 [origin/master: behind 1] b
+b4 [origin/master: ahead 2] f
+b5 [brokenbase: gone] g
+b6 [origin/master] c
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'branch -vv' '