diff --git a/pkg/commands/branch.go b/pkg/commands/branch.go
index b182b8b6d..321101755 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/branch.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/branch.go
@@ -20,3 +20,7 @@ func (b *Branch) RefName() string {
 func (b *Branch) ID() string {
 	return b.RefName()
 }
+
+func (b *Branch) Description() string {
+	return b.RefName()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/commit.go b/pkg/commands/commit.go
index c0483f3f0..1e3a410c2 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/commit.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/commit.go
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ func (c *Commit) ShortSha() string {
 	return c.Sha[:8]
 }
 
-func (c *Commit) NameWithSha() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", c.Sha[:7], c.Name)
-}
-
 func (c *Commit) RefName() string {
 	return c.Sha
 }
@@ -32,3 +28,7 @@ func (c *Commit) RefName() string {
 func (c *Commit) ID() string {
 	return c.RefName()
 }
+
+func (c *Commit) Description() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", c.Sha[:7], c.Name)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/commit_file.go b/pkg/commands/commit_file.go
index 2b231e079..4e632f07a 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/commit_file.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/commit_file.go
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ type CommitFile struct {
 func (f *CommitFile) ID() string {
 	return f.Name
 }
+
+func (f *CommitFile) Description() string {
+	return f.Name
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/file.go b/pkg/commands/file.go
index 12f63c9db..774e47fd7 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/file.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/file.go
@@ -40,3 +40,7 @@ func (f *File) Matches(f2 *File) bool {
 func (f *File) ID() string {
 	return f.Name
 }
+
+func (f *File) Description() string {
+	return f.Name
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/remote.go b/pkg/commands/remote.go
index 17ed8c1ca..1ce12963e 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/remote.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/remote.go
@@ -14,3 +14,7 @@ func (r *Remote) RefName() string {
 func (r *Remote) ID() string {
 	return r.RefName()
 }
+
+func (r *Remote) Description() string {
+	return r.RefName()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/remote_branch.go b/pkg/commands/remote_branch.go
index 656546815..36199e46f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/remote_branch.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/remote_branch.go
@@ -17,3 +17,7 @@ func (r *RemoteBranch) RefName() string {
 func (r *RemoteBranch) ID() string {
 	return r.RefName()
 }
+
+func (r *RemoteBranch) Description() string {
+	return r.RefName()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/stash_entry.go b/pkg/commands/stash_entry.go
index 487da0f00..bdb899a75 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/stash_entry.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/stash_entry.go
@@ -15,3 +15,7 @@ func (s *StashEntry) RefName() string {
 func (s *StashEntry) ID() string {
 	return s.RefName()
 }
+
+func (s *StashEntry) Description() string {
+	return s.RefName() + ": " + s.Name
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/tag.go b/pkg/commands/tag.go
index 2009472b2..a51c9660a 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/tag.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/tag.go
@@ -12,3 +12,7 @@ func (t *Tag) RefName() string {
 func (t *Tag) ID() string {
 	return t.RefName()
 }
+
+func (t *Tag) Description() string {
+	return "tag " + t.Name
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/list_context.go b/pkg/gui/list_context.go
index bf6aaeaaf..25b427b25 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/list_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/list_context.go
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ type ListContext struct {
 }
 
 type ListItem interface {
+	// ID is a SHA when the item is a commit, a filename when the item is a file, 'stash@{4}' when it's a stash entry, 'my_branch' when it's a branch
 	ID() string
+
+	// Description is something we would show in a message e.g. '123as14: push blah' for a commit
+	Description() string
 }
 
 func (lc *ListContext) GetSelectedItem() ListItem {