diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/imageupdateautomation_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/imageupdateautomation_types.go
index 9ebc3d1..fefc9fc 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/imageupdateautomation_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/imageupdateautomation_types.go
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ type ImageUpdateAutomationStatus struct {
 	// made).
 	// +optional
 	LastAutomationRunTime *metav1.Time `json:"lastAutomationRunTime,omitempty"`
+	// LastPushCommit records the SHA1 of the last commit made by the
+	// controller, for this automation object
+	// +optional
+	LastPushCommit string `json:"lastPushCommit,omitempty"`
+	// LastPushTime records the time of the last pushed change.
+	// +optional
+	LastPushTime *metav1.Time `json:"lastPushTime,omitempty"`
 	// +optional
 	ObservedGeneration int64 `json:"observedGeneration,omitempty"`
 	// +optional
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 57ad3f2..4e43a1c 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ func (in *ImageUpdateAutomationStatus) DeepCopyInto(out *ImageUpdateAutomationSt
 		in, out := &in.LastAutomationRunTime, &out.LastAutomationRunTime
 		*out = (*in).DeepCopy()
 	}
+	if in.LastPushTime != nil {
+		in, out := &in.LastPushTime, &out.LastPushTime
+		*out = (*in).DeepCopy()
+	}
 	if in.Conditions != nil {
 		in, out := &in.Conditions, &out.Conditions
 		*out = make([]v1.Condition, len(*in))
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/image.toolkit.fluxcd.io_imageupdateautomations.yaml b/config/crd/bases/image.toolkit.fluxcd.io_imageupdateautomations.yaml
index d7907db..e04601c 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/image.toolkit.fluxcd.io_imageupdateautomations.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/image.toolkit.fluxcd.io_imageupdateautomations.yaml
@@ -187,6 +187,14 @@ spec:
                 description: LastHandledReconcileAt holds the value of the most recent
                   reconcile request value, so a change can be detected.
                 type: string
+              lastPushCommit:
+                description: LastPushCommit records the SHA1 of the last commit made
+                  by the controller, for this automation object
+                type: string
+              lastPushTime:
+                description: LastPushTime records the time of the last pushed change.
+                format: date-time
+                type: string
               observedGeneration:
                 format: int64
                 type: integer
diff --git a/controllers/imageupdateautomation_controller.go b/controllers/imageupdateautomation_controller.go
index 8636c47..7ce9e5d 100644
--- a/controllers/imageupdateautomation_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/imageupdateautomation_controller.go
@@ -199,12 +199,17 @@ func (r *ImageUpdateAutomationReconciler) Reconcile(req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.Resu
 			r.event(auto, events.EventSeverityInfo, "no updates made")
 			log.V(debug).Info("no changes made in working directory; no commit")
 			statusMessage = "no updates made"
+			if lastCommit, lastTime := auto.Status.LastPushCommit, auto.Status.LastPushTime; lastCommit != "" {
+				statusMessage = fmt.Sprintf("%s; last commit %s at %s", statusMessage, lastCommit[:7], lastTime.Format(time.RFC3339))
+			}
 		} else {
 			return failWithError(err)
 		}
 	} else {
 		r.event(auto, events.EventSeverityInfo, "committed and pushed change "+rev)
 		log.Info("pushed commit to origin", "revision", rev)
+		auto.Status.LastPushCommit = rev
+		auto.Status.LastPushTime = &metav1.Time{Time: now}
 		statusMessage = "committed and pushed " + rev
 	}
 
diff --git a/controllers/update_test.go b/controllers/update_test.go
index 972c1e6..e3de794 100644
--- a/controllers/update_test.go
+++ b/controllers/update_test.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"github.com/otiai10/copy"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
-	//	apimeta "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	apimeta "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageUpdateAutomation", func() {
 				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(commit.Message).To(Equal(commitMessage))
 
+				var newObj imagev1.ImageUpdateAutomation
+				Expect(k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), updateKey, &newObj)).To(Succeed())
+				Expect(newObj.Status.LastPushCommit).To(Equal(head.Hash().String()))
+				Expect(newObj.Status.LastPushTime).ToNot(BeNil())
+
 				compareRepoWithExpected(repoURL, branch, "testdata/appconfig-setters-expected", func(tmp string) {
 					replaceMarker(tmp, policyKey)
 				})
@@ -319,6 +324,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageUpdateAutomation", func() {
 				}, timeout, time.Second).Should(BeTrue())
 				// check that the annotation was recorded as seen
 				Expect(newUpdate.Status.LastHandledReconcileAt).To(Equal(ts))
+				expectCommittedAndPushed(newUpdate.Status.Conditions)
 
 				// check that a new commit was made
 				compareRepoWithExpected(repoURL, branch, "testdata/appconfig-setters-expected", func(tmp string) {
@@ -329,6 +335,12 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageUpdateAutomation", func() {
 	})
 })
 
+func expectCommittedAndPushed(conditions []metav1.Condition) {
+	rc := apimeta.FindStatusCondition(conditions, meta.ReadyCondition)
+	Expect(rc).ToNot(BeNil())
+	Expect(rc.Message).To(ContainSubstring("committed and pushed"))
+}
+
 func replaceMarker(path string, policyKey types.NamespacedName) {
 	// NB this requires knowledge of what's in the git
 	// repo, so a little brittle