diff --git a/git-gui.sh b/git-gui.sh
index 886719a8ce..d96df63ab0 100755
--- a/git-gui.sh
+++ b/git-gui.sh
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ if {$_trace >= 0} {
 	set _trace 0
 }
 
+# variable for the last merged branch (useful for a default when deleting
+# branches).
+set _last_merged_branch {}
+
 proc shellpath {} {
 	global _shellpath env
 	if {[string match @@* $_shellpath]} {
diff --git a/lib/merge.tcl b/lib/merge.tcl
index 5cded2341c..460d32fa22 100644
--- a/lib/merge.tcl
+++ b/lib/merge.tcl
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ method _visualize {} {
 
 method _start {} {
 	global HEAD current_branch remote_url
+	global _last_merged_branch
 
 	set name [_rev $this]
 	if {$name eq {}} {
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ method _start {} {
 	regsub ^refs/heads/ $branch {} branch
 	puts $fh "$cmit\t\tbranch '$branch' of $remote"
 	close $fh
+	set _last_merged_branch $branch
 
 	set cmd [list git]
 	lappend cmd merge
diff --git a/lib/remote_branch_delete.tcl b/lib/remote_branch_delete.tcl
index f872a3d89d..fcc06d03a1 100644
--- a/lib/remote_branch_delete.tcl
+++ b/lib/remote_branch_delete.tcl
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ method _write_url        {args} { set urltype url    }
 method _write_check_head {args} { set checktype head }
 
 method _write_head_list {args} {
-	global current_branch
+	global current_branch _last_merged_branch
 
 	$head_m delete 0 end
 	foreach abr $head_list {
@@ -267,6 +267,13 @@ method _write_head_list {args} {
 			set check_head $current_branch
 		}
 	}
+	set lmb [lsearch -exact -sorted $head_list $_last_merged_branch]
+	if {$lmb >= 0} {
+		$w.heads.l conf -state normal
+		$w.heads.l select set $lmb
+		$w.heads.l yview $lmb
+		$w.heads.l conf -state disabled
+	}
 }
 
 method _write_urltype {args} {