diff --git a/crates/but-workspace/src/upstream_integration.rs b/crates/but-workspace/src/upstream_integration.rs
index c34931cca9a..cc6bc27f77f 100644
--- a/crates/but-workspace/src/upstream_integration.rs
+++ b/crates/but-workspace/src/upstream_integration.rs
@@ -381,13 +381,37 @@ pub fn integrate_upstream_with_hints<'ws, 'meta, M: RefMetadata>(
                 .context("BUG: Head should exist")?;
             let head_step = editor.lookup_step(*head)?;
 
-            let insert_side = match head_step {
+            let insert_side = match &head_step {
                 Step::Pick(_) | Step::None => InsertSide::Above,
                 Step::Reference { .. } => InsertSide::Below,
             };
 
+            // Name the branch this is merged into. In a managed workspace the head is the lane's
+            // own reference. A direct checkout's head is the commit instead, and there the branch
+            // the user has checked out is the one to name: other branches can sit on the same
+            // commit, and `step_references()` promises no ordering, so asking it first would name
+            // whichever of them it happened to reach.
+            let merged_into = match &head_step {
+                Step::Reference { refname, .. } => Some(refname.clone()),
+                Step::Pick(_) | Step::None => direct_checkout_head_ref_name.clone().or_else(|| {
+                    editor.step_references(*head).ok()?.into_iter().find_map(
+                        |selector| match editor.lookup_step(selector) {
+                            Ok(Step::Reference { refname, .. }) => Some(refname),
+                            _ => None,
+                        },
+                    )
+                }),
+            };
+
             let mut merge_commit = editor.empty_commit()?;
-            merge_commit.message = format!("Merge {} into merge", target_ref.ref_name).into();
+            merge_commit.message = match merged_into {
+                Some(refname) => {
+                    format!("Merge {} into {}", target_ref.ref_name, refname.shorten())
+                }
+                // Nothing names this head, so the message only states what was merged.
+                None => format!("Merge {}", target_ref.ref_name),
+            }
+            .into();
             let merge_commit =
                 editor.new_commit(merge_commit, DateMode::CommitterKeepAuthorKeep)?;
             let merge_commit = editor.insert(
diff --git a/crates/but-workspace/tests/workspace/upstream_integration.rs b/crates/but-workspace/tests/workspace/upstream_integration.rs
index 39c8340ceab..e502350e543 100644
--- a/crates/but-workspace/tests/workspace/upstream_integration.rs
+++ b/crates/but-workspace/tests/workspace/upstream_integration.rs
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ fn diamond_partially_historically_integrated_merge() -> Result<()> {
     snapbox::assert_data_eq!(
         visualize_commit_graph_all(&repo)?,
         snapbox::str![[r#"
-* 292b0b3 (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
-*   ed5f276 (E) Merge refs/remotes/origin/master into merge
+* 61cce4f (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
+*   b379f5e (E) Merge refs/remotes/origin/master into E
 |\  
 | * 7de2393 (origin/master, master) o4
 | *   7d62953 (o3) o3
@@ -351,8 +351,8 @@ fn diamond_partially_content_integrated_merge() -> Result<()> {
     snapbox::assert_data_eq!(
         visualize_commit_graph_all(&repo)?,
         snapbox::str![[r#"
-* ebd6fa2 (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
-*   0a395ba (E) Merge refs/remotes/origin/master into merge
+* 6a96563 (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
+*   9073990 (E) Merge refs/remotes/origin/master into E
 |\  
 | * 162b064 (origin/master, master) o4
 | * dd87d69 (o3) B
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ fn integrated_bottom_branch_no_workspace_merge() -> Result<()> {
     snapbox::assert_data_eq!(
         visualize_commit_graph_all(&repo)?,
         snapbox::str![[r#"
-*   7ce831c (HEAD -> A) Merge refs/remotes/origin/main into merge
+*   874bd64 (HEAD -> A) Merge refs/remotes/origin/main into A
 |\  
 | * 8c8a843 (origin/main) add X1
 * | e792f40 add A1
@@ -673,8 +673,8 @@ fn merge_upstream_with_conflicting_target_materializes_conflicted_merge_commit()
     snapbox::assert_data_eq!(
         visualize_commit_graph_all(&repo)?,
         snapbox::str![[r#"
-* 379fa91 (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
-*   9b4efdf (A) [conflict] Merge refs/remotes/origin/A into merge
+* 93bd4fe (HEAD -> gitbutler/workspace) GitButler Workspace Commit
+*   1ef8813 (A) [conflict] Merge refs/remotes/origin/A into A
 |\  
 | * f03fc2c (origin/A, new-origin) remote change in A 1
 * | 61c4a24 local change in A 1
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ fn merge_upstream_with_conflicting_target_materializes_conflicted_merge_commit()
     snapbox::assert_data_eq!(
         branch_tip.message_raw()?.to_string(),
         snapbox::str![[r#"
-[conflict] Merge refs/remotes/origin/A into merge
+[conflict] Merge refs/remotes/origin/A into A
 
 GitButler-Conflict: This is a GitButler-managed conflicted commit. Files are auto-resolved
    using the "ours" side. The commit tree contains additional directories: