diff --git a/.github/workflows/upstream pretest.yaml b/.github/workflows/upstream pretest.yaml
index a22062f9..2b7b10b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upstream pretest.yaml	
+++ b/.github/workflows/upstream pretest.yaml	
@@ -187,19 +187,28 @@ jobs:
                     $fork_main_branch_name = 'custom'
                     $fork_branch_name = "pretest/$pr_num"
                     if (&{ git show-ref --verify -q "refs/remotes/origin/$fork_branch_name"; $? }) {
-                        Write-Host "Branch for PR $pr_num exists. Merging with ${fork_main_branch_name}:"
+                        Write-Host "Branch for PR $pr_num exists"
                         git checkout $fork_branch_name
-                        git merge $fork_main_branch_name
+                        
+                        Write-Host "Merging latest commits from PR $pr_num"
+                        git merge "remotes/0_official/pull/$pr_num/head"
                         if (-not $?) { throw "git merge failed" }
                         git push
+                        if (-not $?) { throw "git push failed" }
+                        
                     } else {
-                        Write-Host "Branch for PR $pr_num doesn't exist. Creating:"
+                        Write-Host "Branch for PR $pr_num doesn't exist"
+                        git checkout "remotes/0_official/pull/$pr_num/head"
+                        
+                        Write-Host "Creating:"
                         git checkout -b $fork_branch_name
                         git push --set-upstream origin $fork_branch_name
+                        if (-not $?) { throw "git push failed" }
+                        
                     }
                     
-                    Write-Host "Merging latest commits from PR $pr_num"
-                    git merge "remotes/0_official/pull/$pr_num/head"
+                    Write-Host "Merging with ${fork_main_branch_name}:"
+                    git merge $fork_main_branch_name
                     if (-not $?) { throw "git merge failed" }
                     git push
                     if (-not $?) { throw "git push failed" }
@@ -212,7 +221,6 @@ jobs:
                     Push-Location './POCGL'
                     git fetch --all 2>&1 | Out-Null
                     
-                    # $core_main_branch_name = '${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}'
                     $core_main_branch_name = '${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}'
                     $core_branch_name = "subm-pretest/$org_repo/$pr_num"
                     if (&{ git show-ref --verify -q "refs/remotes/origin/$core_branch_name"; $? }) {
@@ -288,7 +296,6 @@ jobs:
                     New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $main_repo_dir | Out-Null
                     Push-Location $main_repo_dir
                     $main_repo_url = '${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}'
-                    # $main_repo_branch = '${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}'
                     $main_repo_branch = '${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}'
                     Write-Host "Cloning main repo [$main_repo_url]: branch [$main_repo_branch]"
                     git clone -b $main_repo_branch --filter=tree:0 --no-progress --no-checkout $main_repo_url .