diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/remotes.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/remotes.go
index 4720e8feb0..3fa96ad2e2 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/remotes.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/remotes.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func push(ctx context.Context, rsr env.RepoStateReader, tmpDir string, src, dest
 	switch opts.SrcRef.GetType() {
 	case ref.BranchRefType:
 		if opts.SrcRef == ref.EmptyBranchRef {
-			return deleteRemoteBranch(ctx, opts.DestRef, opts.RemoteRef, src, dest, *remote)
+			return deleteRemoteBranch(ctx, opts.DestRef, opts.RemoteRef, src, dest, *remote, opts.Mode.Force)
 		} else {
 			return PushToRemoteBranch(ctx, rsr, tmpDir, opts.Mode, opts.SrcRef, opts.DestRef, opts.RemoteRef, src, dest, *remote, progStarter, progStopper)
 		}
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ func PushTag(ctx context.Context, tempTableDir string, destRef ref.TagRef, srcDB
 	return destDB.SetHead(ctx, destRef, addr)
 }
 
-func deleteRemoteBranch(ctx context.Context, toDelete, remoteRef ref.DoltRef, localDB, remoteDB *doltdb.DoltDB, remote env.Remote) error {
-	err := DeleteRemoteBranch(ctx, toDelete.(ref.BranchRef), remoteRef.(ref.RemoteRef), localDB, remoteDB)
+func deleteRemoteBranch(ctx context.Context, toDelete, remoteRef ref.DoltRef, localDB, remoteDB *doltdb.DoltDB, remote env.Remote, force bool) error {
+	err := DeleteRemoteBranch(ctx, toDelete.(ref.BranchRef), remoteRef.(ref.RemoteRef), localDB, remoteDB, force)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w; '%s' from remote '%s'; %s", ErrFailedToDeleteRemote, toDelete.String(), remote.Name, err)
@@ -262,19 +262,24 @@ func pushTagToRemote(ctx context.Context, tempTableDir string, srcRef, destRef r
 
 // DeleteRemoteBranch validates targetRef is a branch on the remote database, and then deletes it, then deletes the
 // remote tracking branch from the local database.
-func DeleteRemoteBranch(ctx context.Context, targetRef ref.BranchRef, remoteRef ref.RemoteRef, localDB, remoteDB *doltdb.DoltDB) error {
+func DeleteRemoteBranch(ctx context.Context, targetRef ref.BranchRef, remoteRef ref.RemoteRef, localDB, remoteDB *doltdb.DoltDB, force bool) error {
 	hasRef, err := remoteDB.HasRef(ctx, targetRef)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	wsRef, err := ref.WorkingSetRefForHead(targetRef)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	wsRefStr := ""
+	if !force {
+		wsRef, err := ref.WorkingSetRefForHead(targetRef)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		wsRefStr = wsRef.String()
 	}
+
 	if hasRef {
-		err = remoteDB.DeleteBranchWithWorkspaceCheck(ctx, targetRef, nil, wsRef.String())
+		err = remoteDB.DeleteBranchWithWorkspaceCheck(ctx, targetRef, nil, wsRefStr)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/sql-server-remotesrv.bats b/integration-tests/bats/sql-server-remotesrv.bats
index 6889d42ff6..dfdf66295b 100644
--- a/integration-tests/bats/sql-server-remotesrv.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/sql-server-remotesrv.bats
@@ -577,9 +577,8 @@ GRANT CLONE_ADMIN ON *.* TO clone_admin_user@'localhost';
     dolt sql -q 'insert into names (name) values ("abe"), ("betsy"), ("calvin");'
     dolt add names
     dolt commit -m 'initial names.'
-    dolt checkout -b new_branch HEAD
-    dolt sql -q 'insert into names (name) values ("zeek");' # dirty the workspace
-    dolt checkout main
+    dolt branch new_branch HEAD
+    dolt --use-db=remote/new_branch sql -q 'insert into names (name) values ("zeek");' # dirty the workspace
 
     APIPORT=$(definePORT)
     export DOLT_REMOTE_PASSWORD="rootpass"
@@ -594,8 +593,7 @@ GRANT CLONE_ADMIN ON *.* TO clone_admin_user@'localhost';
     [[ "$status" -ne 0 ]] || false
     [[ "$output" =~ "target has uncommitted changes. --force required to overwrite" ]] || false
 
-    run dolt push origin --force --user $SQL_USER :new_branch
-    [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]] || false
+    dolt push origin --force --user $SQL_USER :new_branch
 
     # TODO - verify output. Currently we always print "new branch"
     # To https://doltremoteapi.dolthub.com/dolthub/macneale-remote-test