diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -5889,6 +5889,7 @@ def update(ui, repo, node=None, rev=None
             ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n") % repo._bookmarkcurrent)
     elif brev in repo._bookmarks:
         bookmarks.setcurrent(repo, brev)
+        ui.status(_("(activating bookmark %s)\n") % brev)
     elif brev:
         if repo._bookmarkcurrent:
             ui.status(_("(leaving bookmark %s)\n") %
diff --git a/tests/test-bookmarks-current.t b/tests/test-bookmarks-current.t
--- a/tests/test-bookmarks-current.t
+++ b/tests/test-bookmarks-current.t
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ update to bookmark X
 
   $ hg update X
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark X)
 
 list bookmarks
 
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ list bookmarks
 Verify that switching to Z updates the current bookmark:
   $ hg update Z
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark Z)
   $ hg bookmark
      Y                         0:719295282060
    * Z                         -1:000000000000
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ Verify that switching to Z updates the c
 Switch back to Y for the remaining tests in this file:
   $ hg update Y
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark Y)
 
 delete bookmarks
 
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ bare update moves the active bookmark fo
   $ hg bookmark X@2 -r 2
   $ hg update X
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark X)
   $ hg bookmarks
    * X                         0:719295282060
      X@1                       1:cc586d725fbe
diff --git a/tests/test-bookmarks-merge.t b/tests/test-bookmarks-merge.t
--- a/tests/test-bookmarks-merge.t
+++ b/tests/test-bookmarks-merge.t
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 
   $ hg up -C e
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark e)
   $ hg merge
   abort: no matching bookmark to merge - please merge with an explicit rev or bookmark
   (run 'hg heads' to see all heads)
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@
   
   $ hg up -C e
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark e)
   $ hg bookmarks
      b                         1:d2ae7f538514
      c                         3:b8f96cf4688b
diff --git a/tests/test-bookmarks.t b/tests/test-bookmarks.t
--- a/tests/test-bookmarks.t
+++ b/tests/test-bookmarks.t
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ bookmark rev 0 again
 
   $ hg update X
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark X)
   $ echo c > c
   $ hg add c
   $ hg commit -m 2
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ update to current bookmark if it's not t
   $ hg update
   updating to active bookmark Z
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark Z)
   $ hg bookmarks
      X2                        1:925d80f479bb
      Y                         2:db815d6d32e6
@@ -513,6 +515,7 @@ pull --update works the same as pull && 
   moving bookmark 'Y' forward from db815d6d32e6
   $ hg -R cloned-bookmarks-update update Y
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark Y)
   $ hg -R cloned-bookmarks-update pull --update .
   pulling from .
   searching for changes
diff --git a/tests/test-strip.t b/tests/test-strip.t
--- a/tests/test-strip.t
+++ b/tests/test-strip.t
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ test hg strip -B bookmark
   $ hg bookmark -r 'c' 'delete'
   $ hg up -C todelete
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark todelete)
   $ hg strip -B nostrip
   bookmark 'nostrip' deleted
   abort: empty revision set
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
@@ -482,6 +482,7 @@ same subrepo should work if the subrepo 
   A    *obstruct/other (glob)
   Checked out revision 1.
   2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  (activating bookmark other)
 
 This is surprising, but is also correct based on the current code:
   $ echo "updating should (maybe) fail" > obstruct/other