diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
index 2c51931ff..3a2c54485 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/BranchConfig.java
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@
  */
 public class BranchConfig {
 
+	/**
+	 * The value that means "local repository" for {@link #getRemote()}:
+	 * {@value}
+	 *
+	 * @since 3.5
+	 */
+	public static final String LOCAL_REPOSITORY = "."; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	private final Config config;
 	private final String branchName;
 
@@ -76,12 +84,12 @@ public BranchConfig(final Config config, String branchName) {
 	 *         not be determined
 	 */
 	public String getTrackingBranch() {
-		String remote = getRemote();
-		String mergeRef = getMergeBranch();
+		String remote = getRemoteOrDefault();
+		String mergeRef = getMerge();
 		if (remote == null || mergeRef == null)
 			return null;
 
-		if (remote.equals(".")) //$NON-NLS-1$
+		if (isRemoteLocal())
 			return mergeRef;
 
 		return findRemoteTrackingBranch(remote, mergeRef);
@@ -93,14 +101,44 @@ public String getTrackingBranch() {
 	 *         {@link #getTrackingBranch()} instead.
 	 */
 	public String getRemoteTrackingBranch() {
-		String remote = getRemote();
-		String mergeRef = getMergeBranch();
+		String remote = getRemoteOrDefault();
+		String mergeRef = getMerge();
 		if (remote == null || mergeRef == null)
 			return null;
 
 		return findRemoteTrackingBranch(remote, mergeRef);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return {@code true} if the "remote" setting points to the local
+	 *         repository (with {@value #LOCAL_REPOSITORY}), false otherwise
+	 * @since 3.5
+	 */
+	public boolean isRemoteLocal() {
+		return LOCAL_REPOSITORY.equals(getRemote());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the remote this branch is configured to fetch from/push to, or
+	 *         {@code null} if not defined
+	 * @since 3.5
+	 */
+	public String getRemote() {
+		return config.getString(ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION,
+				branchName, ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_REMOTE);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the name of the upstream branch as it is called on the remote, or
+	 *         {@code null} if not defined
+	 * @since 3.5
+	 */
+	public String getMerge() {
+		return config.getString(
+				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
+				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_MERGE);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Finds the tracked remote tracking branch
 	 *
@@ -127,20 +165,11 @@ private String findRemoteTrackingBranch(String remote, String mergeRef) {
 		return null;
 	}
 
-	private String getRemote() {
-		String remoteName = config.getString(
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_REMOTE);
-		if (remoteName == null)
+	private String getRemoteOrDefault() {
+		String remote = getRemote();
+		if (remote == null)
 			return Constants.DEFAULT_REMOTE_NAME;
 		else
-			return remoteName;
-	}
-
-	private String getMergeBranch() {
-		String mergeRef = config.getString(
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_BRANCH_SECTION, branchName,
-				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_MERGE);
-		return mergeRef;
+			return remote;
 	}
 }