diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommandTest.java
index c03ced563..245219d88 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommandTest.java
@@ -232,6 +232,71 @@ public void testPullEmptyRepository() throws Exception {
 		Git.wrap(empty).pull().call();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testPullMergeProgrammaticConfiguration() throws Exception {
+		// create another commit on another branch in source
+		source.checkout().setCreateBranch(true).setName("other").call();
+		sourceFile = new File(db.getWorkTree(), "file2.txt");
+		writeToFile(sourceFile, "content");
+		source.add().addFilepattern("file2.txt").call();
+		RevCommit sourceCommit = source.commit()
+				.setMessage("source commit on branch other").call();
+
+		File targetFile2 = new File(dbTarget.getWorkTree(), "OtherFile.txt");
+		writeToFile(targetFile2, "Unconflicting change");
+		target.add().addFilepattern("OtherFile.txt").call();
+		RevCommit targetCommit = target.commit()
+				.setMessage("Unconflicting change in local").call();
+
+		PullResult res = target.pull().setRemote("origin")
+				.setRemoteBranchName("other")
+				.setRebase(false).call();
+
+		MergeResult mergeResult = res.getMergeResult();
+		ObjectId[] mergedCommits = mergeResult.getMergedCommits();
+		assertEquals(targetCommit.getId(), mergedCommits[0]);
+		assertEquals(sourceCommit.getId(), mergedCommits[1]);
+		RevCommit mergeCommit = new RevWalk(dbTarget).parseCommit(mergeResult
+				.getNewHead());
+		String message = "Merge branch 'other' of "
+				+ db.getWorkTree().getAbsolutePath();
+		assertEquals(message, mergeCommit.getShortMessage());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testPullMergeProgrammaticConfigurationImpliedTargetBranch()
+			throws Exception {
+		// create another commit on another branch in source
+		source.checkout().setCreateBranch(true).setName("other").call();
+		sourceFile = new File(db.getWorkTree(), "file2.txt");
+		writeToFile(sourceFile, "content");
+		source.add().addFilepattern("file2.txt").call();
+		RevCommit sourceCommit = source.commit()
+				.setMessage("source commit on branch other").call();
+
+		target.checkout().setCreateBranch(true).setName("other").call();
+		File targetFile2 = new File(dbTarget.getWorkTree(), "OtherFile.txt");
+		writeToFile(targetFile2, "Unconflicting change");
+		target.add().addFilepattern("OtherFile.txt").call();
+		RevCommit targetCommit = target.commit()
+				.setMessage("Unconflicting change in local").call();
+
+		// the source branch "other" matching the target branch should be
+		// implied
+		PullResult res = target.pull().setRemote("origin").setRebase(false)
+				.call();
+
+		MergeResult mergeResult = res.getMergeResult();
+		ObjectId[] mergedCommits = mergeResult.getMergedCommits();
+		assertEquals(targetCommit.getId(), mergedCommits[0]);
+		assertEquals(sourceCommit.getId(), mergedCommits[1]);
+		RevCommit mergeCommit = new RevWalk(dbTarget).parseCommit(mergeResult
+				.getNewHead());
+		String message = "Merge branch 'other' of "
+				+ db.getWorkTree().getAbsolutePath() + " into other";
+		assertEquals(message, mergeCommit.getShortMessage());
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	@Before
 	public void setUp() throws Exception {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommand.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommand.java
index 4c935095c..c157f14fc 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommand.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/PullCommand.java
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ public class PullCommand extends TransportCommand<PullCommand, PullResult> {
 
 	private PullRebaseMode pullRebaseMode = PullRebaseMode.USE_CONFIG;
 
+	private String remote;
+
+	private String remoteBranchName;
+
 	private enum PullRebaseMode {
 		USE_CONFIG,
 		REBASE,
@@ -177,21 +181,24 @@ public PullResult call() throws GitAPIException,
 					JGitText.get().cannotPullOnARepoWithState, repo
 							.getRepositoryState().name()));
 
-		// get the configured remote for the currently checked out branch
-		// stored in configuration key branch.<branch name>.remote
 		Config repoConfig = repo.getConfig();
-		String remote = repoConfig.getString(
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_REMOTE);
+		if (remote == null) {
+			// get the configured remote for the currently checked out branch
+			// stored in configuration key branch.<branch name>.remote
+			remote = repoConfig.getString(
+					ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
+					ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_REMOTE);
+		}
 		if (remote == null)
 			// fall back to default remote
 			remote = Constants.DEFAULT_REMOTE_NAME;
 
-		// get the name of the branch in the remote repository
-		// stored in configuration key branch.<branch name>.merge
-		String remoteBranchName = repoConfig.getString(
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_MERGE);
+		if (remoteBranchName == null)
+			// get the name of the branch in the remote repository
+			// stored in configuration key branch.<branch name>.merge
+			remoteBranchName = repoConfig.getString(
+					ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
+					ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_MERGE);
 
         // determines whether rebase should be used after fetching
         boolean doRebase = false;
@@ -211,12 +218,8 @@ public PullResult call() throws GitAPIException,
                 break;
         }
 
-		if (remoteBranchName == null) {
-			String missingKey = ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION + DOT
-					+ branchName + DOT + ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_MERGE;
-			throw new InvalidConfigurationException(MessageFormat.format(
-					JGitText.get().missingConfigurationForKey, missingKey));
-		}
+		if (remoteBranchName == null)
+			remoteBranchName = branchName;
 
 		final boolean isRemote = !remote.equals("."); //$NON-NLS-1$
 		String remoteUri;
@@ -309,4 +312,53 @@ public PullResult call() throws GitAPIException,
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The remote (uri or name) to be used for the pull operation. If no remote
+	 * is set, the branch's configuration will be used. If the branch
+	 * configuration is missing the default value of
+	 * <code>Constants.DEFAULT_REMOTE_NAME</code> will be used.
+	 *
+	 * @see Constants#DEFAULT_REMOTE_NAME
+	 * @param remote
+	 * @return {@code this}
+	 * @since 3.3
+	 */
+	public PullCommand setRemote(String remote) {
+		checkCallable();
+		this.remote = remote;
+		return this;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The remote branch name to be used for the pull operation. If no
+	 * remoteBranchName is set, the branch's configuration will be used. If the
+	 * branch configuration is missing the remote branch with the same name as
+	 * the current branch is used.
+	 *
+	 * @param remoteBranchName
+	 * @return {@code this}
+	 * @since 3.3
+	 */
+	public PullCommand setRemoteBranchName(String remoteBranchName) {
+		checkCallable();
+		this.remoteBranchName = remoteBranchName;
+		return this;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the remote used for the pull operation if it was set explicitly
+	 * @since 3.3
+	 */
+	public String getRemote() {
+		return remote;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the remote branch name used for the pull operation if it was set
+	 *         explicitly
+	 * @since 3.3
+	 */
+	public String getRemoteBranchName() {
+		return remoteBranchName;
+	}
 }