diff --git a/bin/git-pull-request b/bin/git-pull-request
index b5ebad3..5db1186 100755
--- a/bin/git-pull-request
+++ b/bin/git-pull-request
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ test -z "$user" && abort "git config user.email required"
 
 # branch
 
-branch=${1-$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)}
+branch=${1-$(git symbolic-ref HEAD | sed 's/refs\/heads\///')}
+
+# make sure it's pushed
+
+git push origin $branch || abort "failed to push $branch"
 
 # lame hack to get project
 
@@ -48,6 +52,7 @@ echo
 
 # create pull request
 
-body=$(json $title $body $branch)
+body=$(json "$title" "$body" $branch)
+echo curl -u "$user" "https://api.github.com/repos/$project/pulls" -d "$body"
 curl -u "$user" "https://api.github.com/repos/$project/pulls" -d "$body"