diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git.rs b/cli/src/commands/git.rs
index c1dceeb7c2..8daa76a4e8 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::Arc;
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ use jj_lib::settings::{ConfigResultExt as _, UserSettings};
 use jj_lib::str_util::StringPattern;
 use jj_lib::view::View;
 use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
-use maplit::hashset;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{
     print_trackable_remote_branches, short_change_hash, short_commit_hash, start_repo_transaction,
@@ -899,20 +898,22 @@ fn cmd_git_push(
     }
 
     let mut new_heads = vec![];
-    // Short-term TODO: `force_pushed_branches` no longer has an effect on how
-    // branches are actually pushed. Messages about "Moving" vs "Forcing"
-    // branches are now misleading. Change this logic so that we print whether
-    // the branch moved forward, backward, or sideways.
-    let mut force_pushed_branches = hashset! {};
+    let mut branch_push_direction = HashMap::new();
     for (branch_name, update) in &branch_updates {
         if let Some(new_target) = &update.new_target {
             new_heads.push(new_target.clone());
-            let force = match &update.old_target {
-                None => false,
-                Some(old_target) => !repo.index().is_ancestor(old_target, new_target),
-            };
-            if force {
-                force_pushed_branches.insert(branch_name.to_string());
+            if let Some(old_target) = &update.old_target {
+                assert_ne!(old_target, new_target);
+                branch_push_direction.insert(
+                    branch_name.to_string(),
+                    if repo.index().is_ancestor(old_target, new_target) {
+                        "forward"
+                    } else if repo.index().is_ancestor(new_target, old_target) {
+                        "backward"
+                    } else {
+                        "sideways"
+                    },
+                );
             }
         }
     }
@@ -964,21 +965,18 @@ fn cmd_git_push(
     for (branch_name, update) in &branch_updates {
         match (&update.old_target, &update.new_target) {
             (Some(old_target), Some(new_target)) => {
-                if force_pushed_branches.contains(branch_name) {
-                    writeln!(
-                        ui.status(),
-                        "  Force branch {branch_name} from {} to {}",
-                        short_commit_hash(old_target),
-                        short_commit_hash(new_target)
-                    )?;
-                } else {
-                    writeln!(
-                        ui.status(),
-                        "  Move branch {branch_name} from {} to {}",
-                        short_commit_hash(old_target),
-                        short_commit_hash(new_target)
-                    )?;
-                }
+                // TODO(ilyagr): Add color. Once there is color, "Move branch ... sideways" may
+                // read more naturally than "Move sideways branch ...". Without color, it's hard
+                // to see at a glance if one branch among many was moved sideways (say).
+                // TODO: People on Discord suggest "Move branch ... forward by n commits",
+                // possibly "Move branch ... sideways (X forward, Y back)".
+                writeln!(
+                    ui.status(),
+                    "  Move {dir} branch {branch_name} from {old} to {new}",
+                    dir = branch_push_direction.get(branch_name).unwrap(),
+                    old = short_commit_hash(old_target),
+                    new = short_commit_hash(new_target)
+                )?;
             }
             (Some(old_target), None) => {
                 writeln!(
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_git_push.rs b/cli/tests/test_git_push.rs
index a526f417d9..d1cfdf7f4d 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_git_push.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_git_push.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ fn test_git_push_current_branch() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Move branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 10ee3363b259
+      Move forward branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 10ee3363b259
       Add branch my-branch to 10ee3363b259
     Dry-run requested, not pushing.
     "###);
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ fn test_git_push_current_branch() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Move branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 10ee3363b259
+      Move forward branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 10ee3363b259
       Add branch my-branch to 10ee3363b259
     "###);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(get_branch_output(&test_env, &workspace_root), @r###"
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ fn test_git_push_parent_branch() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to d47326d59ee1
+      Move sideways branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to d47326d59ee1
     "###);
 }
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ fn test_git_push_other_remote_has_branch() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to 50421a29358a
+      Move sideways branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to 50421a29358a
     "###);
     // Since it's already pushed to origin, nothing will happen if push again
     let (stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["git", "push"]);
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ fn test_git_push_not_fast_forward() {
     let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_failure(&workspace_root, &["git", "push"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Move branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to c35839cb8e8c
+      Move forward branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to c35839cb8e8c
     Error: Refusing to push a branch that unexpectedly moved on the remote. Affected refs: refs/heads/branch1
     Hint: Try fetching from the remote, then make the branch point to where you want it to be, and push again.
     "###);
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ fn test_git_push_sideways_unexpectedly_moved() {
     let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_failure(&workspace_root, &["git", "push"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to 0f8bf988588e
+      Move sideways branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to 0f8bf988588e
     Error: Refusing to push a branch that unexpectedly moved on the remote. Affected refs: refs/heads/branch1
     Hint: Try fetching from the remote, then make the branch point to where you want it to be, and push again.
     "###);
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ fn test_git_push_locally_created_and_rewritten() {
     let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["git", "push"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch my from fcc999921ce9 to bde1d2e44b2a
+      Move sideways branch my from fcc999921ce9 to bde1d2e44b2a
     "###);
 }
 
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ fn test_git_push_multiple() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
       Delete branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907
-      Force branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
+      Move sideways branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
       Add branch my-branch to 15dcdaa4f12f
     Dry-run requested, not pushing.
     "###);
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ fn test_git_push_multiple() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
       Delete branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907
-      Force branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
+      Move sideways branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
     Dry-run requested, not pushing.
     "###);
 
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ fn test_git_push_multiple() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
       Delete branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907
-      Force branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
+      Move sideways branch branch2 from 8476341eb395 to 15dcdaa4f12f
       Add branch my-branch to 15dcdaa4f12f
     "###);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(get_branch_output(&test_env, &workspace_root), @r###"
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ fn test_git_push_changes() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Creating branch push-yqosqzytrlsw for revision @-
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 28d7620ea63a to 48d8c7948133
+      Move sideways branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 28d7620ea63a to 48d8c7948133
       Add branch push-yqosqzytrlsw to fa16a14170fb
     "###);
     // specifying the same change twice doesn't break things
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ fn test_git_push_changes() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 48d8c7948133 to b5f030322b1d
+      Move sideways branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 48d8c7948133 to b5f030322b1d
     "###);
 
     // specifying the same branch with --change/--branch doesn't break things
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ fn test_git_push_changes() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from b5f030322b1d to 4df62cec2ee4
+      Move sideways branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from b5f030322b1d to 4df62cec2ee4
     "###);
 
     // try again with --change that moves the branch forward
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ fn test_git_push_changes() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @"");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Force branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 4df62cec2ee4 to 3e2ce808759b
+      Move sideways branch push-yostqsxwqrlt from 4df62cec2ee4 to 3e2ce808759b
     "###);
     let stdout = test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["status"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ fn test_git_push_conflicting_branches() {
     Warning: Branch branch2 is conflicted
     Hint: Run `jj branch list` to inspect, and use `jj branch set` to fix it up.
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Move branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to fd1d63e031ea
+      Move forward branch branch1 from 45a3aa29e907 to fd1d63e031ea
     "###);
 
     // --revisions shouldn't be blocked by conflicting branch
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ fn test_git_push_conflicting_branches() {
     Warning: Branch branch2 is conflicted
     Hint: Run `jj branch list` to inspect, and use `jj branch set` to fix it up.
     Branch changes to push to origin:
-      Move branch branch1 from fd1d63e031ea to 8263cf992d33
+      Move forward branch branch1 from fd1d63e031ea to 8263cf992d33
     "###);
 }