Git Emergency
I rebased onto the wrong branch
Severity Annoying
What just happened
The rebase replayed your commits on top of the wrong base. Your old branch is still in the reflog, and git rebase --onto can move only your commits.
Potential risks
- If pushed, the branch history changed for everyone using it.
Before you run anything
- Create a backup branch before moving anything.
- Golden rule: before any destructive command, create a safety branch with git branch backup/before-fix — it costs nothing.
Recovery steps
- 1
Find the branch before the rebase
Right after the rebase, ORIG_HEAD points to it. Otherwise look in the reflog.
Safe$ git branch backup/before-rebase ORIG_HEAD$ git log --oneline -n 5 backup/before-rebase - 2
Option 1: go back to before the rebase
Then rebase again on the right branch.
Destructive$ git reset --hard backup/before-rebase$ git rebase main - 3
Option 2: move only your commits
Takes the commits after wrong-base and replays them on main. Read it as: onto main, from wrong-base.
Caution$ git rebase --onto main wrong-base my-branch
These procedures are provided for information only. Read each command and adapt it to your situation before running it. Disclaimer
Other disasters
🪓 I deleted my branch🚨 I pushed directly to main💥 I ran git reset --hard🧨 I overwrote a colleague's commits🔑 I pushed my .env file to GitHub🔀 I made a bad merge👻 I lost uncommitted changes🎯 I committed on the wrong branch🎈 I'm in “detached HEAD” state⚔️ I'm stuck in a merge conflict🚫 My push is rejected (non-fast-forward)🌀 My rebase went wrong🐘 GitHub rejects a file over 100 MB🥸 I committed with the wrong name or email🗑️ I deleted a file and committed it⏪ I want to undo my last commit✏️ I amended a commit that was already pushed🧹 Too many messy commits to clean up📮 I pushed to the wrong branch🔁 I need back the changes I reverted📦 git stash pop gave me a conflict🙈 I committed a file that should be ignored🔠 Git doesn't see my file rename (upper/lower case)🧨 I ran git clean -fd by mistake🩻 My repository is corrupted🙃 I forgot to pull before pushing👯 Duplicated lines of code after a merge➖ I added a file I didn't want to (git add)✏️ I made a typo in a commit message✂️ My commit does too many things🧺 I lost a stash (drop, clear or pop gone wrong)🫥 I pulled and my code disappeared🍒 I cherry-picked the wrong commit☁️ I deleted a branch on GitHub / GitLab👥 I pushed with the wrong GitHub account🚚 The repository was renamed or moved🏷️ I tagged the wrong commit🌊 Git says every file is modified, but I changed nothing📦 I committed node_modules (or a build folder)📂 I ran git init in the wrong folder🧨 My pull request has conflicts⏳ My pull request is behind main📝 I have to apply review changes to my PR🧳 My PR shows commits that aren't mine🎯 I opened my PR against the wrong branch🚨 A merged PR broke main🚪 I closed my PR (or deleted its branch) by mistake🔴 The checks of my PR are failing🐘 My PR is too big to review🍴 My fork is behind the original repository