/errors /git/failed-to-push-some-refs

error: failed to push some refs (rejected, fetch first)

updated 2026-10-20

tool: Git
exit code: 1
versions: Git 2.x
os: linux, macos, windows

git push fails with ! [rejected] main -> main (fetch first) and error: failed to push some refs when the remote branch contains commits that your local branch does not have. Git refuses to overwrite them. Fetch those commits and integrate them, then push again.

Reproduce the error

Two clones of the same repository; the first one pushes, then the second one tries to:

bash

git init -q --bare remote.git
git clone -q remote.git alice 2>/dev/null && cd alice
git switch -q -c main && echo one > a.txt && git add a.txt && git commit -qm "one" && git push -q origin main
cd .. && git clone -q -b main remote.git bob && cd alice
echo two >> a.txt && git commit -qam "two" && git push -q origin main
cd ../bob
echo three > b.txt && git add b.txt && git commit -qm "three"
git push origin main

Output · exit 1

To /tmp/work/remote.git
 ! [rejected]        main -> main (fetch first)
error: failed to push some refs to '/tmp/work/remote.git'
hint: Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do not
hint: have locally. This is usually caused by another repository pushing to
hint: the same ref. If you want to integrate the remote changes, use
hint: 'git pull' before pushing again.
hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.

Fix: rebase onto the remote, then push

bash

git init -q --bare remote.git
git clone -q remote.git alice 2>/dev/null && cd alice
git switch -q -c main && echo one > a.txt && git add a.txt && git commit -qm "one" && git push -q origin main
cd .. && git clone -q -b main remote.git bob && cd alice
echo two >> a.txt && git commit -qam "two" && git push -q origin main
cd ../bob
echo three > b.txt && git add b.txt && git commit -qm "three"
git pull --rebase -q origin main
git push -q origin main && git log --oneline

Output

2b24f0e three
e76c590 two
e057f16 one

git pull --rebase replays your local commits on top of the remote ones, so the push becomes a fast-forward. A plain git pull (merge) works too, but adds a merge commit.

Sources

flags · gitgit push --force-with-lease: a safer force push--force-with-lease overwrites the remote branch only if it still points where your remote-tracking ref says, so commits pushed since your fetch are never lost.compare · gitgit merge vs git rebase: differences and when to use eachgit merge joins histories with a merge commit and keeps them as they happened; git rebase replays commits on a new base for a linear history with new hashes.errors · gitfatal: refusing to merge unrelated historiesGit refuses to merge two branches that share no common commit, for example a new local repo and a remote created with a README. Use --allow-unrelated-histories.

Reproduce the error

Fix: rebase onto the remote, then push

Sources

Related pages