diff --git a/subcmds/upload.py b/subcmds/upload.py
index 7d460ddf..7f7585ae 100644
--- a/subcmds/upload.py
+++ b/subcmds/upload.py
@@ -349,15 +349,16 @@ Gerrit Code Review:  http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/
 
         # Make sure our local branch is not setup to track a different remote branch
         merge_branch = self._GetMergeBranch(branch.project)
-        full_dest = 'refs/heads/%s' % destination
-        if not opt.dest_branch and merge_branch and merge_branch != full_dest:
-          print('merge branch %s does not match destination branch %s'
-                % (merge_branch, full_dest))
-          print('skipping upload.')
-          print('Please use `--destination %s` if this is intentional'
-                % destination)
-          branch.uploaded = False
-          continue
+        if destination:
+          full_dest = 'refs/heads/%s' % destination
+          if not opt.dest_branch and merge_branch and merge_branch != full_dest:
+            print('merge branch %s does not match destination branch %s'
+                  % (merge_branch, full_dest))
+            print('skipping upload.')
+            print('Please use `--destination %s` if this is intentional'
+                  % destination)
+            branch.uploaded = False
+            continue
 
         branch.UploadForReview(people, auto_topic=opt.auto_topic, draft=opt.draft, dest_branch=destination)
         branch.uploaded = True