diff --git a/cmd/status.go b/cmd/status.go
index 9eaf51c..2afe726 100644
--- a/cmd/status.go
+++ b/cmd/status.go
@@ -364,6 +364,32 @@ func detectSyncIssues(gitClient git.GitClient, stackBranches []stack.StackBranch
 		} else if err != nil && verbose {
 			fmt.Printf("  ⚠ Could not check if branch is behind: %v\n", err)
 		}
+
+		// Check if local branch differs from remote (needs push)
+		if gitClient.RemoteBranchExists(branch.Name) {
+			if verbose {
+				fmt.Printf("  Checking if local branch differs from origin/%s...\n", branch.Name)
+			}
+			localHash, localErr := gitClient.GetCommitHash(branch.Name)
+			remoteHash, remoteErr := gitClient.GetCommitHash("origin/" + branch.Name)
+			if localErr == nil && remoteErr == nil && localHash != remoteHash {
+				if verbose {
+					fmt.Printf("  ✗ Local branch differs from origin/%s (needs push)\n", branch.Name)
+				}
+				issues = append(issues, fmt.Sprintf("  - Branch '%s' differs from origin (needs push)", branch.Name))
+			} else if localErr == nil && remoteErr == nil && verbose {
+				fmt.Printf("  ✓ Local branch matches origin/%s\n", branch.Name)
+			} else if verbose {
+				if localErr != nil {
+					fmt.Printf("  ⚠ Could not get local commit hash: %v\n", localErr)
+				}
+				if remoteErr != nil {
+					fmt.Printf("  ⚠ Could not get remote commit hash: %v\n", remoteErr)
+				}
+			}
+		} else if verbose {
+			fmt.Printf("  ℹ No remote branch origin/%s found\n", branch.Name)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return &syncIssuesResult{
diff --git a/cmd/status_test.go b/cmd/status_test.go
index 8108949..b96cdca 100644
--- a/cmd/status_test.go
+++ b/cmd/status_test.go
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ func TestDetectSyncIssues(t *testing.T) {
 			prCache: make(map[string]*github.PRInfo),
 			setupMocks: func(mockGit *testutil.MockGitClient) {
 				mockGit.On("IsCommitsBehind", "feature-a", "main").Return(true, nil)
+				mockGit.On("RemoteBranchExists", "feature-a").Return(false)
 			},
 			expectedIssues: 1,
 			expectedMerged: 0,
@@ -240,6 +241,7 @@ func TestDetectSyncIssues(t *testing.T) {
 			setupMocks: func(mockGit *testutil.MockGitClient) {
 				mockGit.On("GetDefaultBranch").Return("main")
 				mockGit.On("IsCommitsBehind", "feature-b", "feature-a").Return(false, nil)
+				mockGit.On("RemoteBranchExists", "feature-b").Return(false)
 			},
 			expectedIssues: 1, // Issue because parent is merged
 			expectedMerged: 0,
diff --git a/cmd/sync.go b/cmd/sync.go
index c005523..48c3d7e 100644
--- a/cmd/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/sync.go
@@ -129,10 +129,6 @@ func runSync(gitClient git.GitClient, githubClient github.GitHubClient) error {
 		fmt.Printf("✓ Added '%s' to stack with parent '%s'\n", originalBranch, baseBranch)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Println()
-	fmt.Println("Syncing stack...")
-	fmt.Println()
-
 	// Start parallel fetch operations (git fetch and GitHub PR fetch)
 	// These are the slowest operations and have no dependencies between them
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup