diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6049d54019..b7f5a4da1b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
  
 ## Added
 - add `trace-libgit` feature to make git tracing optional [[@dm9pZCAq](https://github.com/dm9pZCAq)] ([#902](https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui/issues/902))
+- support merging and rebasing remote branches ([#920](https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui/issues/920))
 
 ## [0.18] - 2021-10-11
 
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/merge.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/merge.rs
index 10d74d6415..dd31656592 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/merge.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/merge.rs
@@ -46,12 +46,16 @@ pub fn abort_merge(repo_path: &str) -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 ///
-pub fn merge_branch(repo_path: &str, branch: &str) -> Result<()> {
+pub fn merge_branch(
+	repo_path: &str,
+	branch: &str,
+	branch_type: BranchType,
+) -> Result<()> {
 	scope_time!("merge_branch");
 
 	let repo = utils::repo(repo_path)?;
 
-	merge_branch_repo(&repo, branch)?;
+	merge_branch_repo(&repo, branch, branch_type)?;
 
 	Ok(())
 }
@@ -89,8 +93,9 @@ pub fn abort_pending_rebase(repo_path: &str) -> Result<()> {
 pub fn merge_branch_repo(
 	repo: &Repository,
 	branch: &str,
+	branch_type: BranchType,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-	let branch = repo.find_branch(branch, BranchType::Local)?;
+	let branch = repo.find_branch(branch, branch_type)?;
 
 	let annotated =
 		repo.reference_to_annotated_commit(&branch.into_reference())?;
@@ -162,7 +167,7 @@ mod tests {
 
 		write_commit_file(&repo, "test.txt", "test2", "commit2");
 
-		merge_branch(repo_path, "master").unwrap();
+		merge_branch(repo_path, "master", BranchType::Local).unwrap();
 
 		let msg = merge_msg(repo_path).unwrap();
 
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/mod.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/mod.rs
index 2eb32bb34b..6c9ca156e7 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/mod.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/mod.rs
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ pub use config::{
 	ShowUntrackedFilesConfig,
 };
 pub use diff::get_diff_commit;
+pub use git2::BranchType;
 pub use hooks::{
 	hooks_commit_msg, hooks_post_commit, hooks_pre_commit, HookResult,
 };
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/rebase.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/rebase.rs
index b98bda0814..fdccafda69 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/rebase.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/rebase.rs
@@ -12,19 +12,21 @@ use super::CommitId;
 pub fn rebase_branch(
 	repo_path: &str,
 	branch: &str,
+	branch_type: BranchType,
 ) -> Result<RebaseState> {
 	scope_time!("rebase_branch");
 
 	let repo = utils::repo(repo_path)?;
 
-	rebase_branch_repo(&repo, branch)
+	rebase_branch_repo(&repo, branch, branch_type)
 }
 
 fn rebase_branch_repo(
 	repo: &Repository,
 	branch_name: &str,
+	branch_type: BranchType,
 ) -> Result<RebaseState> {
-	let branch = repo.find_branch(branch_name, BranchType::Local)?;
+	let branch = repo.find_branch(branch_name, branch_type)?;
 
 	let annotated =
 		repo.reference_to_annotated_commit(&branch.into_reference())?;
@@ -268,7 +270,8 @@ mod test_conflict_free_rebase {
 
 		checkout_branch(repo_path, "refs/heads/foo").unwrap();
 
-		let res = rebase_branch(repo_path, "master");
+		let res =
+			rebase_branch(repo_path, "master", BranchType::Local);
 
 		assert!(matches!(res.unwrap(), RebaseState::Conflicted));
 
@@ -288,6 +291,7 @@ mod test_rebase {
 		tests::{repo_init, write_commit_file},
 		RepoState,
 	};
+	use git2::BranchType;
 
 	#[test]
 	fn test_conflicted_abort() {
@@ -312,7 +316,8 @@ mod test_rebase {
 
 		// rebase
 
-		let r = rebase_branch(repo_path, "master").unwrap();
+		let r = rebase_branch(repo_path, "master", BranchType::Local)
+			.unwrap();
 
 		assert_eq!(r, RebaseState::Conflicted);
 		assert_eq!(repo_state(repo_path).unwrap(), RepoState::Rebase);
diff --git a/src/components/branchlist.rs b/src/components/branchlist.rs
index 64a25cf574..d804621da7 100644
--- a/src/components/branchlist.rs
+++ b/src/components/branchlist.rs
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ use asyncgit::{
 			checkout_remote_branch, BranchDetails, LocalBranch,
 			RemoteBranch,
 		},
-		checkout_branch, get_branches_info, BranchInfo, CommitId,
-		RepoState,
+		checkout_branch, get_branches_info, BranchInfo, BranchType,
+		CommitId, RepoState,
 	},
 	AsyncGitNotification, CWD,
 };
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ impl Component for BranchListComponent {
 					&self.key_config,
 				),
 				!self.selection_is_cur_branch(),
-				self.local,
+				true,
 			));
 
 			out.push(CommandInfo::new(
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ impl Component for BranchListComponent {
 					&self.key_config,
 				),
 				!self.selection_is_cur_branch(),
-				self.local,
+				true,
 			));
 
 			out.push(CommandInfo::new(
@@ -368,7 +368,11 @@ impl BranchListComponent {
 		if let Some(branch) =
 			self.branches.get(usize::from(self.selection))
 		{
-			sync::merge_branch(CWD, &branch.name)?;
+			sync::merge_branch(
+				CWD,
+				&branch.name,
+				self.get_branch_type(),
+			)?;
 
 			self.hide_and_switch_tab()?;
 		}
@@ -380,7 +384,11 @@ impl BranchListComponent {
 		if let Some(branch) =
 			self.branches.get(usize::from(self.selection))
 		{
-			sync::rebase_branch(CWD, &branch.name)?;
+			sync::rebase_branch(
+				CWD,
+				&branch.name,
+				self.get_branch_type(),
+			)?;
 
 			self.hide_and_switch_tab()?;
 		}
@@ -388,6 +396,14 @@ impl BranchListComponent {
 		Ok(())
 	}
 
+	const fn get_branch_type(&self) -> BranchType {
+		if self.local {
+			BranchType::Local
+		} else {
+			BranchType::Remote
+		}
+	}
+
 	fn hide_and_switch_tab(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
 		self.hide();
 		self.queue.push(InternalEvent::Update(NeedsUpdate::ALL));