diff --git a/src/cmd/rebase.rs b/src/cmd/rebase.rs
index 1f87f624..82a3a213 100644
--- a/src/cmd/rebase.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/rebase.rs
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ fn make() -> clap::Command {
         .arg(
             Arg::new("committish")
                 .help("New base commit for the stack")
-                .value_parser(clap::value_parser!(SingleRevisionSpec))
-                .required_unless_present("interactive"),
+                .value_parser(clap::value_parser!(SingleRevisionSpec)),
         )
         .arg(
             Arg::new("interactive")
@@ -99,15 +98,36 @@ fn run(matches: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
     let branch_name = stack.get_branch_name().to_string();
     let allow_push_conflicts = argset::resolve_allow_push_conflicts(&config, matches);
     let committer_date_is_author_date = matches.get_flag("committer-date-is-author-date");
+    let interactive = matches.get_flag("interactive");
 
-    let target_commit =
-        if let Some(target_rev_spec) = matches.get_one::<SingleRevisionSpec>("committish") {
-            target_rev_spec.resolve(&repo, Some(&stack))?.commit
-        } else {
-            stack.base().clone()
-        };
+    let target_commit = if let Some(target_rev_spec) =
+        matches.get_one::<SingleRevisionSpec>("committish")
+    {
+        target_rev_spec.resolve(&repo, Some(&stack))?.commit
+    } else if let Some(remote_ref) = repo
+        .branch_remote_tracking_ref_name(stack.get_branch_refname(), gix::remote::Direction::Fetch)
+        .transpose()?
+    {
+        let id = repo.rev_parse_single(remote_ref.as_bstr())?;
+        id.object()?.into_commit().into()
+    } else if interactive {
+        stack.base().clone()
+    } else {
+        print_info_message(
+            matches,
+            &format!(
+                "if you wish to set tracking information for this branch you can do so with:
+
+    git branch --set-upstream-to=<remote>/<branch> {branch_name}
+"
+            ),
+        );
+        return Err(anyhow!(
+            "there is no tracking information for the current branch"
+        ));
+    };
 
-    if !matches.get_flag("interactive") && target_commit.id == stack.base().id {
+    if !interactive && target_commit.id == stack.base().id {
         print_info_message(
             matches,
             &format!(
diff --git a/t/t2200-rebase.sh b/t/t2200-rebase.sh
index 53d0ed0f..7161794a 100755
--- a/t/t2200-rebase.sh
+++ b/t/t2200-rebase.sh
@@ -43,4 +43,22 @@ test_expect_success 'Rebase to same base message' '
     grep "info: Already based on .*(master)" out
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'Rebase without argument' '
+    test_must_fail stg rebase 2>out &&
+    grep -q "error: there is no tracking information for the current branch" out &&
+    git checkout master &&
+    echo bar >>file2 &&
+    git add file2 &&
+    git commit -m c &&
+    git remote add origin "file://$(pwd)" &&
+    git fetch origin &&
+    git checkout stack &&
+    git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/master &&
+    stg rebase 2>out &&
+    grep "info: Rebasing to .*(master origin/master)" out &&
+    test $(stg series --applied -c) = 1 &&
+    grep bar file1 &&
+    grep bar file2
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/test-lib-functions.sh b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
index 90034dfb..621cd9bf 100644
--- a/t/test-lib-functions.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
@@ -1024,7 +1024,7 @@ test_must_fail_acceptable () {
 	fi
 
 	case "$1" in
-	git|__git*|scalar|test-tool|fake_tool|test_terminal)
+	git|__git*|scalar|test-tool|fake_tool|test_terminal|stg)
 		return 0
 		;;
 	*)