diff --git a/Documentation/git-branch.txt b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
index 6410c3d34545ce..e71370d6b49f58 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-branch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ OPTIONS
 	relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
 	the name of the upstream branch, as well.
 
+-q::
+--quiet::
+	Be more quiet when creating or deleting a branch, suppressing
+	non-error messages.
+
 --abbrev=<length>::
 	Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
 	The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev`
diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 9971820a184d97..eccdaf93924334 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -101,9 +101,10 @@ void install_branch_config(int flag, const char *local, const char *origin, cons
  * config.
  */
 static int setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
-                          enum branch_track track)
+			  enum branch_track track, int quiet)
 {
 	struct tracking tracking;
+	int config_flags = quiet ? 0 : BRANCH_CONFIG_VERBOSE;
 
 	if (strlen(new_ref) > 1024 - 7 - 7 - 1)
 		return error("Tracking not set up: name too long: %s",
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ static int setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
 		return error("Not tracking: ambiguous information for ref %s",
 				orig_ref);
 
-	install_branch_config(BRANCH_CONFIG_VERBOSE, new_ref, tracking.remote,
+	install_branch_config(config_flags, new_ref, tracking.remote,
 			      tracking.src ? tracking.src : orig_ref);
 
 	free(tracking.src);
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ int validate_new_branchname(const char *name, struct strbuf *ref,
 void create_branch(const char *head,
 		   const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		   int force, int reflog, int clobber_head,
-		   enum branch_track track)
+		   int quiet, enum branch_track track)
 {
 	struct ref_lock *lock = NULL;
 	struct commit *commit;
@@ -260,7 +261,7 @@ void create_branch(const char *head,
 			 start_name);
 
 	if (real_ref && track)
-		setup_tracking(ref.buf+11, real_ref, track);
+		setup_tracking(ref.buf+11, real_ref, track, quiet);
 
 	if (!dont_change_ref)
 		if (write_ref_sha1(lock, sha1, msg) < 0)
diff --git a/branch.h b/branch.h
index b99c5a369e31a8..64173abf4db65b 100644
--- a/branch.h
+++ b/branch.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 void create_branch(const char *head, const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		   int force, int reflog,
-		   int clobber_head, enum branch_track track);
+		   int clobber_head, int quiet, enum branch_track track);
 
 /*
  * Validates that the requested branch may be created, returning the
diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index d8cccf725d3fab..5f150b4e8ae874 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ static int branch_merged(int kind, const char *name,
 	return merged;
 }
 
-static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds)
+static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
+			   int quiet)
 {
 	struct commit *rev, *head_rev = NULL;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
@@ -216,9 +217,10 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds)
 			ret = 1;
 		} else {
 			struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-			printf(_("Deleted %sbranch %s (was %s).\n"), remote,
-			       bname.buf,
-			       find_unique_abbrev(sha1, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
+			if (!quiet)
+				printf(_("Deleted %sbranch %s (was %s).\n"),
+				       remote, bname.buf,
+				       find_unique_abbrev(sha1, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 			strbuf_addf(&buf, "branch.%s", bname.buf);
 			if (git_config_rename_section(buf.buf, NULL) < 0)
 				warning(_("Update of config-file failed"));
@@ -678,6 +680,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int delete = 0, rename = 0, force_create = 0, list = 0;
 	int verbose = 0, abbrev = -1, detached = 0;
 	int reflog = 0, edit_description = 0;
+	int quiet = 0;
 	enum branch_track track;
 	int kinds = REF_LOCAL_BRANCH;
 	struct commit_list *with_commit = NULL;
@@ -686,6 +689,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_GROUP("Generic options"),
 		OPT__VERBOSE(&verbose,
 			"show hash and subject, give twice for upstream branch"),
+		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, "suppress informational messages"),
 		OPT_SET_INT('t', "track",  &track, "set up tracking mode (see git-pull(1))",
 			BRANCH_TRACK_EXPLICIT),
 		OPT_SET_INT( 0, "set-upstream",  &track, "change upstream info",
@@ -766,7 +770,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
 
 	if (delete)
-		return delete_branches(argc, argv, delete > 1, kinds);
+		return delete_branches(argc, argv, delete > 1, kinds, quiet);
 	else if (list)
 		return print_ref_list(kinds, detached, verbose, abbrev,
 				      with_commit, argv);
@@ -808,7 +812,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (kinds != REF_LOCAL_BRANCH)
 			die(_("-a and -r options to 'git branch' do not make sense with a branch name"));
 		create_branch(head, argv[0], (argc == 2) ? argv[1] : head,
-			      force_create, reflog, 0, track);
+			      force_create, reflog, 0, quiet, track);
 	} else
 		usage_with_options(builtin_branch_usage, options);
 
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 6b9061f26f5f33..23fc56d88d4785 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(struct checkout_opts *opts,
 				      opts->new_branch_force ? 1 : 0,
 				      opts->new_branch_log,
 				      opts->new_branch_force ? 1 : 0,
+				      opts->quiet,
 				      opts->track);
 		new->name = opts->new_branch;
 		setup_branch_path(new);