diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 6a25957e9f..1d150378e9 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -589,9 +589,16 @@ static char *get_head_description(void)
 	else if (state.bisect_in_progress)
 		strbuf_addf(&desc, _("(no branch, bisect started on %s)"),
 			    state.branch);
-	else if (state.detached_from)
-		strbuf_addf(&desc, _("(detached from %s)"),
-			    state.detached_from);
+	else if (state.detached_from) {
+		/* TRANSLATORS: make sure these match _("HEAD detached at ")
+		   and _("HEAD detached from ") in wt-status.c */
+		if (state.detached_at)
+			strbuf_addf(&desc, _("(HEAD detached at %s)"),
+				state.detached_from);
+		else
+			strbuf_addf(&desc, _("(HEAD detached from %s)"),
+				state.detached_from);
+	}
 	else
 		strbuf_addstr(&desc, _("(no branch)"));
 	free(state.branch);
diff --git a/t/t3203-branch-output.sh b/t/t3203-branch-output.sh
index ba4f98e800..f51d0f3cad 100755
--- a/t/t3203-branch-output.sh
+++ b/t/t3203-branch-output.sh
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -v pattern does not show branch summaries' '
 
 test_expect_success 'git branch shows detached HEAD properly' '
 	cat >expect <<EOF &&
-* (detached from $(git rev-parse --short HEAD^0))
+* (HEAD detached at $(git rev-parse --short HEAD^0))
   branch-one
   branch-two
   master
@@ -106,4 +106,41 @@ EOF
 	test_i18ncmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git branch shows detached HEAD properly after moving' '
+	cat >expect <<EOF &&
+* (HEAD detached from $(git rev-parse --short HEAD))
+  branch-one
+  branch-two
+  master
+EOF
+	git reset --hard HEAD^1 &&
+	git branch >actual &&
+	test_i18ncmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git branch shows detached HEAD properly from tag' '
+	cat >expect <<EOF &&
+* (HEAD detached at fromtag)
+  branch-one
+  branch-two
+  master
+EOF
+	git tag fromtag master &&
+	git checkout fromtag &&
+	git branch >actual &&
+	test_i18ncmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git branch shows detached HEAD properly after moving from tag' '
+	cat >expect <<EOF &&
+* (HEAD detached from fromtag)
+  branch-one
+  branch-two
+  master
+EOF
+	git reset --hard HEAD^1 &&
+	git branch >actual &&
+	test_i18ncmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 422dc0e70c..7036fa28dc 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -1242,6 +1242,8 @@ static void wt_status_get_detached_from(struct wt_status_state *state)
 		state->detached_from =
 			xstrdup(find_unique_abbrev(cb.nsha1, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 	hashcpy(state->detached_sha1, cb.nsha1);
+	state->detached_at = !get_sha1("HEAD", sha1) &&
+			     !hashcmp(sha1, state->detached_sha1);
 
 	free(ref);
 	strbuf_release(&cb.buf);
@@ -1330,10 +1332,8 @@ void wt_status_print(struct wt_status *s)
 				on_what = _("rebase in progress; onto ");
 				branch_name = state.onto;
 			} else if (state.detached_from) {
-				unsigned char sha1[20];
 				branch_name = state.detached_from;
-				if (!get_sha1("HEAD", sha1) &&
-				    !hashcmp(sha1, state.detached_sha1))
+				if (state.detached_at)
 					on_what = _("HEAD detached at ");
 				else
 					on_what = _("HEAD detached from ");
diff --git a/wt-status.h b/wt-status.h
index 283a9fef03..e0a99f75c7 100644
--- a/wt-status.h
+++ b/wt-status.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ struct wt_status_state {
 	int cherry_pick_in_progress;
 	int bisect_in_progress;
 	int revert_in_progress;
+	int detached_at;
 	char *branch;
 	char *onto;
 	char *detached_from;