diff --git a/src/land/engine/ArcanistLandEngine.php b/src/land/engine/ArcanistLandEngine.php
--- a/src/land/engine/ArcanistLandEngine.php
+++ b/src/land/engine/ArcanistLandEngine.php
@@ -1547,7 +1547,7 @@
     return $sets;
   }
 
-  final protected function newPassthru($pattern /* , ... */) {
+  final protected function newPassthruCommand($pattern /* , ... */) {
     $workflow = $this->getWorkflow();
     $argv = func_get_args();
 
@@ -1560,6 +1560,16 @@
     $command = $workflow->newCommand($passthru)
       ->setResolveOnError(true);
 
+    return $command;
+  }
+
+  final protected function newPassthru($pattern /* , ... */) {
+    $argv = func_get_args();
+
+    $command = call_user_func_array(
+      array($this, 'newPassthruCommand'),
+      $argv);
+
     return $command->execute();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/land/engine/ArcanistMercurialLandEngine.php b/src/land/engine/ArcanistMercurialLandEngine.php
--- a/src/land/engine/ArcanistMercurialLandEngine.php
+++ b/src/land/engine/ArcanistMercurialLandEngine.php
@@ -455,18 +455,20 @@
     // NOTE: We're using passthru on this because it's a remote command and
     // may prompt the user for credentials.
 
-    // TODO: This is fairly silly/confusing to show to users in the common
-    // case where it does not require credentials, particularly because the
-    // actual command line is full of nonsense.
-
     $tmpfile = new TempFile();
     Filesystem::remove($tmpfile);
 
-    $err = $this->newPassthru(
+    $command = $this->newPassthruCommand(
       '%Ls arc-ls-remote --output %s -- %s',
       $api->getMercurialExtensionArguments(),
       phutil_string_cast($tmpfile),
       $target->getRemote());
+
+    $command->setDisplayCommand(
+      'hg ls-remote -- %s',
+      $target->getRemote());
+
+    $err = $command->execute();
     if ($err) {
       throw new Exception(
         pht(
diff --git a/src/toolset/command/ArcanistCommand.php b/src/toolset/command/ArcanistCommand.php
--- a/src/toolset/command/ArcanistCommand.php
+++ b/src/toolset/command/ArcanistCommand.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   private $logEngine;
   private $executableFuture;
   private $resolveOnError = false;
+  private $displayCommand;
 
   public function setExecutableFuture(PhutilExecutableFuture $future) {
     $this->executableFuture = $future;
@@ -34,10 +35,27 @@
     return $this->resolveOnError;
   }
 
+  public function setDisplayCommand($pattern /* , ... */) {
+    $argv = func_get_args();
+    $command = call_user_func_array('csprintf', $argv);
+    $this->displayCommand = $command;
+    return $this;
+  }
+
+  public function getDisplayCommand() {
+    return $this->displayCommand;
+  }
+
   public function execute() {
     $log = $this->getLogEngine();
     $future = $this->getExecutableFuture();
-    $command = $future->getCommand();
+
+    $display_command = $this->getDisplayCommand();
+    if ($display_command !== null) {
+      $command = $display_command;
+    } else {
+      $command = $future->getCommand();
+    }
 
     $log->writeNewline();