diff --git a/zerver/tests.py b/zerver/tests.py
index 8d4649d307..141cf1e97c 100644
--- a/zerver/tests.py
+++ b/zerver/tests.py
@@ -5303,6 +5303,11 @@ class GithubHookTests(AuthedTestCase):
                         "zulip-test: pull request 7: Counting is hard.",
                         "zbenjamin closed [pull request 7](https://github.com/zbenjamin/zulip-test/pull/7)")
 
+    def test_pull_request_synchronize(self):
+        self.basic_test('pull_request_synchronize', 'commits',
+                        "zulip-test: pull request 13: Even more cowbell.",
+                        "zbenjamin synchronized [pull request 13](https://github.com/zbenjamin/zulip-test/pull/13)")
+
     def test_pull_request_comment(self):
         self.basic_test('pull_request_comment', 'commits',
                         "zulip-test: pull request 9: Less cowbell.",
diff --git a/zerver/views/webhooks.py b/zerver/views/webhooks.py
index b3a7ef9ff7..efd16f2bc6 100644
--- a/zerver/views/webhooks.py
+++ b/zerver/views/webhooks.py
@@ -25,10 +25,14 @@ def github_generic_subject(noun, topic_focus, blob):
     return "%s: %s %d: %s" % (topic_focus, noun, blob['number'], blob['title'])
 
 def github_generic_content(noun, payload, blob):
+    action = payload['action']
+    if action == 'synchronize':
+        action = 'synchronized'
+
     # issue and pull_request objects have the same fields we're interested in
     content = ("%s %s [%s %s](%s)"
                % (payload['sender']['login'],
-                  payload['action'],
+                  action,
                   noun,
                   blob['number'],
                   blob['html_url']))