Rebasing feature branches in Git can lead to a cleaner commit history and better integration with the main branch. However, it’s not uncommon to encounter rejections when pushing rebased branches due to conflicts with remote changes. In this article, we’ll explore the common causes of “Git push rejected after feature branch rebase” errors and provide step-by-step instructions on how to resolve them effectively.

Git push rejected after feature branch rebase

Understanding the Error

When you rebase a feature branch onto the latest changes in the main branch and then attempt to push the rebased branch to the remote repository, Git may reject the push if there are conflicts between the rebased branch and the remote changes. This rejection occurs because Git wants to ensure that the remote repository’s history remains intact and consistent.

Resolving the “Git Push Rejected” Error

There are several methods to resolve this issue, depending on your workflow and whether you want to overwrite the remote history. Here are some common approaches:

Using Force Push

If you are sure that your rebased branch should replace the remote branch, you can use a force push. This method is straightforward but can be dangerous because it rewrites the remote branch’s history.

git push origin feature-branch --force

Step 1: Ensure you’re on the correct branch

git checkout feature-branch

Step 2: Force push your rebased branch

git push origin feature-branch --force

Caution: Force pushing can overwrite changes in the remote branch, potentially causing issues for other collaborators. Use it with caution, especially in a shared repository.

Using --force-with-lease (Safer Alternative)

The --force-with-lease option is a safer alternative to a regular force push. It only force pushes if the remote branch hasn’t changed since you last fetched it.

git push origin feature-branch --force-with-lease

Step 1: Ensure you’re on the correct branch

git checkout feature-branch

Step 2: Force push with lease

git push origin feature-branch --force-with-lease

Benefits: This option minimizes the risk of overwriting changes that others may have pushed to the remote branch since your last fetch.

Best Practices for Avoiding Push Rejections

• Communicate with Your Team: If you’re working in a team, communicate your intentions before force pushing. Ensure everyone is aware of the changes and the potential impact.
• Use Feature Branches: Keep your feature branches isolated from the main branch until you’re ready to merge, minimizing the risk of conflicts.
• Regularly Pull Changes: Regularly pull changes from the remote repository to keep your branch up to date with the latest changes.
• Avoid Rebasing Public Branches: Avoid rebasing branches that have been pushed to a public repository, as this can cause conflicts and issues for others.