diff --git a/precommit/src/main/shell/robots.d/circleci.sh b/precommit/src/main/shell/robots.d/circleci.sh
index 9b9c2eb..3e74d34 100755
--- a/precommit/src/main/shell/robots.d/circleci.sh
+++ b/precommit/src/main/shell/robots.d/circleci.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
       USER_PARAMS+=("--empty-patch")
       PATCH_BRANCH="${CIRCLE_BRANCH}"
       pushd "${BASEDIR}" >/dev/null || exit 1
-      "${GIT}" branch --set-upstream-to=origin/"${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}"
+      echo "Attempting to reset Circle CI's understanding of ${CIRCLE_BRANCH}"
+      "${GIT}" branch --set-upstream-to=origin/"${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" || true
+      "${GIT}" branch -f  "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" origin/"${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" || true
       popd >/dev/null || exit 1
     else
       PATCH_OR_ISSUE="${CIRCLE_PULL_REQUEST}"
@@ -99,6 +101,15 @@
   add_footer_table "Console output" "${BUILD_URL}"
 }
 
+function circleci_pre_git_checkout
+{
+  pushd "${BASEDIR}" >/dev/null || exit 1
+  echo "Attempting to reset Circle CI's understanding of ${PATCH_BRANCH_DEFAULT}"
+  "${GIT}" branch --set-upstream-to=origin/"${PATCH_BRANCH_DEFAULT}" "${PATCH_BRANCH_DEFAULT}" || true
+  "${GIT}" branch -f "${PATCH_BRANCH_DEFAULT}" origin/"${PATCH_BRANCH_DEFAULT}" || true
+  popd >/dev/null || exit 1
+}
+
 #function circleci_unittest_footer
 #{
 #  declare statusjdk=$1
diff --git a/precommit/src/main/shell/test-patch.sh b/precommit/src/main/shell/test-patch.sh
index 49309ba..4daacf5 100755
--- a/precommit/src/main/shell/test-patch.sh
+++ b/precommit/src/main/shell/test-patch.sh
@@ -1113,6 +1113,12 @@
 
   git_requires_creds
 
+  if [[ ${ROBOT} == true ]]; then
+    if declare -f "${ROBOTTYPE}"_pre_git_checkout >/dev/null; then
+      "${ROBOTTYPE}"_pre_git_checkout
+    fi
+  fi
+
   cd "${BASEDIR}" || cleanup_and_exit 1
   if [[ ! -e .git ]]; then
     yetus_error "ERROR: ${BASEDIR} is not a git repo."