diff --git a/tools/git-submit b/tools/git-submit
index 5cda9aa..58a8544 100755
--- a/tools/git-submit
+++ b/tools/git-submit
@@ -2,12 +2,22 @@
 
 set -eu
 
-BRANCH=$1
+REMOTE=""
+BRANCH="${1-master}"
+
+if (echo "$BRANCH" | grep ':' > /dev/null); then
+  REMOTE="$(echo "$BRANCH" | grep -o '^[^:]*')"
+  BRANCH="$(echo "$BRANCH" | grep -o '[^:]*$')"
+  REMOTE="$(git remote -v | grep ":$REMOTE/.* (push)" | grep -o '^\S*')"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$REMOTE" ]; then
+  git checkout --track "$REMOTE/$BRANCH"
+else
+  git checkout $BRANCH
+fi
 
-git checkout "$BRANCH"
 git push upstream "$BRANCH:master"
-git checkout master
-git merge upstream/master
-git push
+git sync
 git branch -d "$BRANCH"
 git push origin ":$BRANCH"
diff --git a/tools/git-sync b/tools/git-sync
index 7218248..159053f 100755
--- a/tools/git-sync
+++ b/tools/git-sync
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ case "$BRANCH" in
     else
       git checkout $BRANCH
     fi
-    git checkout $BRANCH
     git rebase upstream/master
     ;;
 esac