diff --git a/services/.local/share/services/git-sync b/services/.local/share/services/git-sync
index 66a6745..27f9bf4 100755
--- a/services/.local/share/services/git-sync
+++ b/services/.local/share/services/git-sync
@@ -19,13 +19,16 @@ set_target() {
   DIR="${GS_TARGETDIR:-$1}"
 }
 
-commit() {
+pull() {
+  msg "Pulling upstream changes into $DIR"
   run_git pull --ff-only --ff
+}
 
+commit() {
   msg "Committing changes to $DIR"
   run_git add .
   # shellcheck disable=2039
-  run_git commit --no-gpg-sign -m "Git sync: $(date +%F_%R) from ${HOSTNAME:-"$HOST"}"
+  run_git commit --no-gpg-sign -m "Git sync: $(date +%F_%R) from ${HOSTNAME:-"${HOST:-undefined}"}"
 }
 
 push() {
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ should_commit() {
     msg "No changes to commit in $DIR" 2
     false
   else
-    msg "Found changes to commit in $DIR"
+    msg "Found changes to commit in $DIR" 2
     true
   fi
 }
@@ -51,12 +54,23 @@ should_push() {
   fi
 }
 
+should_pull() {
+  run_git fetch
+  # shellcheck disable=1083
+  if [ "$(run_git rev-parse HEAD)" = "$(run_git rev-parse @{u})" ]; then
+    false
+  else
+    true
+  fi
+}
+
 run_git() {
   git -C "$DIR" "$@"
 }
 
 # echos its first argument
 # verbosity level optionally set through second argument
+# default verbosity 1 (info), can be set to 2 (debug), or 0 (error)
 msg() {
   lvl=${2:-1}
   [ "$lvl" -gt "$VERBOSITY" ] && return 0
@@ -67,6 +81,10 @@ msg() {
 watch_changes() {
   no_change_cycle=0
   while true; do
+    if should_pull; then
+      pull
+    fi
+
     if should_commit; then
       commit
       no_change_cycle=0