diff --git a/mercurial/destutil.py b/mercurial/destutil.py
--- a/mercurial/destutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/destutil.py
@@ -14,30 +14,6 @@ from . import (
     obsolete,
 )
 
-def _destupdatevalidate(repo, rev, clean, check):
-    """validate that the destination comply to various rules
-
-    This exists as its own function to help wrapping from extensions."""
-    wc = repo[None]
-    p1 = wc.p1()
-    if not clean:
-        # Check that the update is linear.
-        #
-        # Mercurial do not allow update-merge for non linear pattern
-        # (that would be technically possible but was considered too confusing
-        # for user a long time ago)
-        #
-        # See mercurial.merge.update for details
-        if p1.rev() not in repo.changelog.ancestors([rev], inclusive=True):
-            dirty = wc.dirty(missing=True)
-            foreground = obsolete.foreground(repo, [p1.node()])
-            if not repo[rev].node() in foreground:
-                if dirty:
-                    msg = _("uncommitted changes")
-                    hint = _("commit and merge, or update --clean to"
-                             " discard changes")
-                    raise error.UpdateAbort(msg, hint=hint)
-
 def _destupdateobs(repo, clean, check):
     """decide of an update destination from obsolescence markers"""
     node = None
@@ -157,8 +133,6 @@ def destupdate(repo, clean=False, check=
             break
     rev = repo[node].rev()
 
-    _destupdatevalidate(repo, rev, clean, check)
-
     return rev, movemark, activemark
 
 msgdestmerge = {
diff --git a/mercurial/merge.py b/mercurial/merge.py
--- a/mercurial/merge.py
+++ b/mercurial/merge.py
@@ -1562,7 +1562,7 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge, forc
                     else:
                         msg = _("uncommitted changes")
                         hint = _("commit or update --clean to discard changes")
-                        raise error.Abort(msg, hint=hint)
+                        raise error.UpdateAbort(msg, hint=hint)
                 else:
                     # Allow jumping branches if clean and specific rev given
                     pass