# Rebase Pr

> Local rebase-merge workflow for pull requests with signed commits Use when this capability is needed.

- Skill: `tomevault-io/rebase-pr` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/rebase-pr`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/rebase-pr/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/rebase-pr

---


# rebase-pr

Merge a PR using local `git rebase` + signed commits + `git push origin main`.

`gh pr merge --rebase` cannot sign commits. Local rebase with `commit.gpgsign=true`
signs every rebased commit. Pushing main directly auto-closes the PR.

## Dispatch

<!--
  WARNING: This skill is executed by a subagent with `bypassPermissions`.
  Ensure all subsequent steps are safe for automatic execution without user prompts.
  Do not add operations that would normally be blocked by DENY rules.
-->

**MANDATORY FIRST STEP**: Spawn a Haiku subagent using the Agent tool with
`mode: "bypassPermissions"`. Pass all content starting from **Prerequisite: Validate Rulesets**
through end-of-document as the agent prompt; include the current branch name and PR number.
Do not execute any steps yourself — the subagent runs the complete workflow autonomously with
all permissions auto-accepted.

If the Haiku subagent cannot be spawned, becomes unavailable, or encounters an unrecoverable
error while running this workflow, clearly report the failure to the user and ask whether to
(a) retry spawning the subagent or (b) proceed manually by following the remaining steps of
this document together step-by-step.

## Prerequisite: Validate Rulesets

Before anything else, check the all-branches ruleset:

```bash
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/rulesets \
  --jq '.[] | select(.conditions.ref_name.include[] == "~ALL") | .rules[].type'
```

**If any of these appear → ABORT with the message shown:**

| Rule type | Message |
|-----------|---------|
| `non_fast_forward` | "Remove from all-branches ruleset. Feature branches need force-push after rebase. Keep on main-only." |
| `required_linear_history` | "Remove from all-branches ruleset. Keep on main-only." |
| `pull_request` | "Remove from all-branches ruleset. Keep on main-only." |
| `required_status_checks` | "Remove from all-branches ruleset. Keep on main-only." |
| `code_scanning` | "Remove from all-branches ruleset. Keep on main-only." |

Only `required_signatures` belongs on all-branches.

## Step 1: Validate PR Ready

```graphql
query {
  repository(owner: "{owner}", name: "{repo}") {
    pullRequest(number: {PR}) {
      state
      mergeable
      mergeStateStatus
      isDraft
      reviewDecision
      commits(last: 1) {
        nodes { commit { statusCheckRollup { state } } }
      }
      reviewThreads(first: 25) {
        nodes { isResolved }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Required values — abort if any fail:**

| Field | Must be | Abort message |
|-------|---------|---------------|
| `state` | `OPEN` | "PR is not open — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |
| `mergeable` | `MERGEABLE` | "PR has merge conflicts — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |
| `mergeStateStatus` | `CLEAN` or `HAS_HOOKS` | "PR merge state is {value} — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |
| `isDraft` | `false` | "PR is a draft — mark ready first, then run `/finalize-pr`" |
| `reviewDecision` | `APPROVED` or `null` | "PR needs approval — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |
| `statusCheckRollup.state` | `SUCCESS` | "CI is not passing: {state} — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |
| All `reviewThreads.isResolved` | `true` | "Unresolved review threads — run `/finalize-pr` to fix" |

## Step 2: Sync Main

```bash
cd ~/git/{repo}/main
git fetch origin --force main
git pull origin main
```

## Step 3: Fetch Branch, Create Worktree, Rebase

For remote-only branches (Renovate, Dependabot, etc.):

```bash
# NEVER use FETCH_HEAD — always create from origin/{branch}
git fetch origin --force {branch}
git branch {branch} origin/{branch}
```

Create worktree and rebase:

```bash
git worktree add ~/git/{repo}/{worktree-path} {branch}
cd ~/git/{repo}/{worktree-path}
git rebase origin/main
git log --oneline origin/main..HEAD   # verify commits are ahead
```

## Step 4: Force-Push and Wait for CI

```bash
git push --force-with-lease origin {branch}
gh pr checks {PR} --watch --interval 15
```

**Do NOT proceed until all checks pass.**

If force-with-lease fails on a bot branch (no upstream tracking):

```bash
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/{branch} {branch}
git push --force-with-lease origin {branch}
```

## Step 5: Fast-Forward Merge to Main

```bash
cd ~/git/{repo}/main
git merge-base --is-ancestor origin/main {branch}  # verify FF is possible; exit 0 = yes
git merge --ff-only {branch}
```

If `merge-base --is-ancestor` exits non-zero, main moved since rebase — go back to Step 2.

## Step 6: Push Main

```bash
git push origin main
```

If rejected with "Code scanning waiting":

```bash
gh pr checks {PR} --watch --interval 15
git push origin main   # retry after checks pass
```

Verify merged:

```bash
gh pr view {PR} --json state --jq '.state'   # expect: MERGED
```

## Step 7: Cleanup

```bash
git worktree remove ~/git/{repo}/{worktree-path}
git branch -d {branch}              # use -D only after confirming state=MERGED
git push origin --delete {branch}
git worktree prune
```

## Never Do This

- **NEVER** use `gh pr merge` — GitHub cannot sign rebase commits
- **NEVER** `git push --force origin main` — only force-push feature branches
- **NEVER** create a local branch from `FETCH_HEAD` — use `origin/{branch}`
- **NEVER** push to main before CI passes on the rebased branch
- **NEVER** skip the GraphQL PR validation check
- **NEVER** use `git branch -D` without first confirming `state=MERGED`
- **NEVER** fix issues inline — if validation fails, abort and suggest `/finalize-pr`

## Edge Cases

**Rebase conflicts:**

```bash
# git rebase pauses and lists conflicted files
git status                     # see conflicted files
# edit files to resolve
git add {conflicted-files}
git rebase --continue
```

**Push to main rejected (code scanning):**
Wait for CI with `gh pr checks {PR} --watch --interval 15`, then retry push.

**PR already merged:**
Skip Steps 1–6. Go directly to Step 7 cleanup.

**merge-base --is-ancestor exits non-zero:**
Main moved while you were waiting for CI. Return to Step 2, re-sync main, re-fetch branch,
re-rebase, force-push again, wait for CI, then retry merge.

### Pre-Push Hook Auto-Fixes Files

**Detection**: `git push` fails, hook output shows "files were modified by this hook"

**Action**: Commit the auto-fixed files and retry the push:

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "style: apply pre-push hook auto-fixes"
git push --force-with-lease origin {branch}
```

This commonly occurs with release-please CHANGELOG.md entries that don't conform to markdownlint rules.

## Related Skills

- **squash-merge-pr** (github-workflows) — Squash merge after rebase-pr prepares the branch
- **finalize-pr** (github-workflows) — Full PR finalization pipeline that may invoke rebase-pr
- **sync-main** (git-workflows) — Syncs main branch, often needed before rebasing
- **pr-standards** (git-standards) — PR creation and review standards

---
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<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-04-13 -->