diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index 89e450e492..fc6e6af505 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -1630,13 +1630,16 @@ enum BranchSubcommand {
         revision: Option<String>,
 
         /// The branches to create.
+        #[clap(required = true)]
         names: Vec<String>,
     },
 
-    /// Delete an existing branch and propagate the deletion to remotes on the next push.
+    /// Delete an existing branch and propagate the deletion to remotes on the
+    /// next push.
     #[clap(visible_alias("d"))]
     Delete {
         /// The branches to delete.
+        #[clap(required = true)]
         names: Vec<String>,
     },
 
@@ -1645,6 +1648,7 @@ enum BranchSubcommand {
     #[clap(visible_alias("f"))]
     Forget {
         /// The branches to delete.
+        #[clap(required = true)]
         names: Vec<String>,
     },
 
@@ -1670,6 +1674,7 @@ enum BranchSubcommand {
         allow_backwards: bool,
 
         /// The branches to update.
+        #[clap(required = true)]
         names: Vec<String>,
     },
 }
@@ -4037,39 +4042,31 @@ fn cmd_branch(
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     let mut workspace_command = command.workspace_helper(ui)?;
     let view = workspace_command.repo().view();
-    fn assert_branch_names_exist<'a>(
+    fn validate_branch_names_exist<'a>(
         view: &'a View,
         names: &'a [String],
-    ) -> Result<Vec<&'a str>, CommandError> {
-        let result: Vec<_> = names
-            .iter()
-            .map(|branch_name| match view.get_local_branch(branch_name) {
-                Some(_) => Ok(branch_name.as_str()),
-                None => Err(CommandError::UserError(format!(
+    ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+        for branch_name in names {
+            if view.get_local_branch(branch_name).is_none() {
+                return Err(CommandError::UserError(format!(
                     "No such branch: {}",
                     branch_name
-                ))),
-            })
-            .try_collect()?;
-        Ok(result)
+                )));
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn make_branch_term(ui: &mut Ui, branch_names: &[impl AsRef<str>]) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if branch_names.is_empty() {
-            ui.write_warn("warning: No branches provided.\n")?;
+    fn make_branch_term(branch_names: &[impl AsRef<str>]) -> String {
+        match branch_names {
+            [branch_name] => format!("branch {}", branch_name.as_ref()),
+            branch_names => {
+                format!(
+                    "branches {}",
+                    branch_names.iter().map(AsRef::as_ref).join(", ")
+                )
+            }
         }
-        let branch_term = if branch_names.len() == 1 {
-            "branch"
-        } else {
-            "branches"
-        };
-        Ok(format!(
-            "{branch_term} {}",
-            branch_names
-                .iter()
-                .map(|branch_name| branch_name.as_ref())
-                .join(", ")
-        ))
     }
 
     match subcommand {
@@ -4096,7 +4093,7 @@ fn cmd_branch(
                 workspace_command.resolve_single_rev(ui, revision.as_deref().unwrap_or("@"))?;
             let mut tx = workspace_command.start_transaction(&format!(
                 "create {} pointing to commit {}",
-                make_branch_term(ui, &branch_names)?,
+                make_branch_term(&branch_names),
                 target_commit.id().hex()
             ));
             for branch_name in branch_names {
@@ -4138,7 +4135,7 @@ fn cmd_branch(
             }
             let mut tx = workspace_command.start_transaction(&format!(
                 "point {} to commit {}",
-                make_branch_term(ui, branch_names)?,
+                make_branch_term(branch_names),
                 target_commit.id().hex()
             ));
             for branch_name in branch_names {
@@ -4151,20 +4148,20 @@ fn cmd_branch(
         }
 
         BranchSubcommand::Delete { names } => {
-            let branch_names = assert_branch_names_exist(view, names)?;
-            let mut tx = workspace_command
-                .start_transaction(&format!("delete {}", make_branch_term(ui, &branch_names)?,));
-            for branch_name in branch_names {
+            validate_branch_names_exist(view, names)?;
+            let mut tx =
+                workspace_command.start_transaction(&format!("delete {}", make_branch_term(names)));
+            for branch_name in names {
                 tx.mut_repo().remove_local_branch(branch_name);
             }
             workspace_command.finish_transaction(ui, tx)?;
         }
 
         BranchSubcommand::Forget { names } => {
-            let branch_names = assert_branch_names_exist(view, names)?;
-            let mut tx = workspace_command
-                .start_transaction(&format!("forget {}", make_branch_term(ui, &branch_names)?));
-            for branch_name in branch_names {
+            validate_branch_names_exist(view, names)?;
+            let mut tx =
+                workspace_command.start_transaction(&format!("forget {}", make_branch_term(names)));
+            for branch_name in names {
                 tx.mut_repo().remove_branch(branch_name);
             }
             workspace_command.finish_transaction(ui, tx)?;
diff --git a/tests/test_branch_command.rs b/tests/test_branch_command.rs
index 97adde32d6..8da98ccbab 100644
--- a/tests/test_branch_command.rs
+++ b/tests/test_branch_command.rs
@@ -55,21 +55,6 @@ fn test_branch_multiple_names() {
     "###);
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn test_branch_hint_no_branches() {
-    let test_env = TestEnvironment::default();
-    test_env.jj_cmd_success(test_env.env_root(), &["init", "repo", "--git"]);
-    let repo_path = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
-
-    let assert = test_env
-        .jj_cmd(&repo_path, &["branch", "delete"])
-        .assert()
-        .success();
-    let stderr = get_stderr_string(&assert);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @"warning: No branches provided.
-");
-}
-
 fn get_log_output(test_env: &TestEnvironment, cwd: &Path) -> String {
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(cwd, &["log", "-T", r#"branches " " commit_id.short()"#])
 }