fatal: Not possible to fast-forward, aborting.
pull is configured to fast-forward only, but your branch and the remote have diverged.
Seen on:
Git
Meaning
With pull.ff=only, git refuses to create a merge commit or rebase automatically. You must choose how to reconcile.
Common causes
- Local commits plus new remote commits
- pull.ff=only configured
⚡ Quick fix
- Rebase: git pull --rebase
- Or merge explicitly: git pull --no-ff
Detailed fix by platform
Git
git pull --rebase origin main
How to diagnose
- Divergence — git log --oneline --graph --all
- Recent change — Did it start after a deploy, upgrade, or configuration change? Compare with the last working version.
🧠 Still stuck? Analyze your error
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Last updated 2 Oct 2026