diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 5d8ff1a8f5..cae687072e 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -1848,9 +1848,13 @@ push.default::
   pushing to the same repository you would normally pull from
   (i.e. central workflow).
 
-* `simple` - like `upstream`, but refuses to push if the upstream
-  branch's name is different from the local one. This is the safest
-  option and is well-suited for beginners.
+* `simple` - in centralized workflow, work like `upstream` with an
+  added safety to refuse to push if the upstream branch's name is
+  different from the local one.
++
+When pushing to a remote that is different from the remote you normally
+pull from, work as `current`.  This is the safest option and is suited
+for beginners.
 +
 This mode will become the default in Git 2.0.
 
diff --git a/builtin/push.c b/builtin/push.c
index 2d84d10720..a2580a94f5 100644
--- a/builtin/push.c
+++ b/builtin/push.c
@@ -120,10 +120,11 @@ static const char message_detached_head_die[] =
 	   "\n"
 	   "    git push %s HEAD:<name-of-remote-branch>\n");
 
-static void setup_push_upstream(struct remote *remote, int simple)
+static void setup_push_upstream(struct remote *remote, struct branch *branch,
+				int triangular)
 {
 	struct strbuf refspec = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct branch *branch = branch_get(NULL);
+
 	if (!branch)
 		die(_(message_detached_head_die), remote->name);
 	if (!branch->merge_nr || !branch->merge || !branch->remote_name)
@@ -137,18 +138,29 @@ static void setup_push_upstream(struct remote *remote, int simple)
 	if (branch->merge_nr != 1)
 		die(_("The current branch %s has multiple upstream branches, "
 		    "refusing to push."), branch->name);
-	if (strcmp(branch->remote_name, remote->name))
+	if (triangular)
 		die(_("You are pushing to remote '%s', which is not the upstream of\n"
 		      "your current branch '%s', without telling me what to push\n"
 		      "to update which remote branch."),
 		    remote->name, branch->name);
-	if (simple && strcmp(branch->refname, branch->merge[0]->src))
-		die_push_simple(branch, remote);
+
+	if (push_default == PUSH_DEFAULT_SIMPLE) {
+		/* Additional safety */
+		if (strcmp(branch->refname, branch->merge[0]->src))
+			die_push_simple(branch, remote);
+	}
 
 	strbuf_addf(&refspec, "%s:%s", branch->name, branch->merge[0]->src);
 	add_refspec(refspec.buf);
 }
 
+static void setup_push_current(struct remote *remote, struct branch *branch)
+{
+	if (!branch)
+		die(_(message_detached_head_die), remote->name);
+	add_refspec(branch->name);
+}
+
 static char warn_unspecified_push_default_msg[] =
 N_("push.default is unset; its implicit value is changing in\n"
    "Git 2.0 from 'matching' to 'simple'. To squelch this message\n"
@@ -173,9 +185,16 @@ static void warn_unspecified_push_default_configuration(void)
 	warning("%s\n", _(warn_unspecified_push_default_msg));
 }
 
+static int is_workflow_triangular(struct remote *remote)
+{
+	struct remote *fetch_remote = remote_get(NULL);
+	return (fetch_remote && fetch_remote != remote);
+}
+
 static void setup_default_push_refspecs(struct remote *remote)
 {
-	struct branch *branch;
+	struct branch *branch = branch_get(NULL);
+	int triangular = is_workflow_triangular(remote);
 
 	switch (push_default) {
 	default:
@@ -188,18 +207,18 @@ static void setup_default_push_refspecs(struct remote *remote)
 		break;
 
 	case PUSH_DEFAULT_SIMPLE:
-		setup_push_upstream(remote, 1);
+		if (triangular)
+			setup_push_current(remote, branch);
+		else
+			setup_push_upstream(remote, branch, triangular);
 		break;
 
 	case PUSH_DEFAULT_UPSTREAM:
-		setup_push_upstream(remote, 0);
+		setup_push_upstream(remote, branch, triangular);
 		break;
 
 	case PUSH_DEFAULT_CURRENT:
-		branch = branch_get(NULL);
-		if (!branch)
-			die(_(message_detached_head_die), remote->name);
-		add_refspec(branch->name);
+		setup_push_current(remote, branch);
 		break;
 
 	case PUSH_DEFAULT_NOTHING: