diff --git a/build-tools/branching/create_branches_and_tags.sh b/build-tools/branching/create_branches_and_tags.sh
index c71eadbd..b67ce35e 100755
--- a/build-tools/branching/create_branches_and_tags.sh
+++ b/build-tools/branching/create_branches_and_tags.sh
@@ -383,18 +383,19 @@ for subgit in $SUBGITS; do
     remote_branch=$(git_repo_remote_branch)
     if [ "${remote_branch}" == "" ]; then
         remote_branch=$(git_remote_branch)
-        if [ "${remote_branch}" == "" ]; then
-            echo_stderr "ERROR: failed to determine remote branch in ${subgit}"
-            exit 1
-        fi
+    fi
+
+    extra_args=""
+    if [ "${remote_branch}" != "" ]; then
+        extra_args="-t ${remote}/${remote_branch}"
     fi
 
     # check if destination branch already exists
     branch_check=$(git branch -a --list $branch)
     if [ -z "$branch_check" ]; then
         echo "Creating branch $branch in $subgit"
-        echo "   git checkout -t ${remote}/${remote_branch} -b $branch"
-        git checkout -t ${remote}/${remote_branch} -b $branch
+        echo "   git checkout ${extra_args} -b $branch"
+        git checkout ${extra_args} -b $branch
         if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
             echo_stderr "ERROR: failed to create branch '$branch' in ${subgit}"
             exit 1
diff --git a/build-tools/branching/push_branches_tags.sh b/build-tools/branching/push_branches_tags.sh
index 4597cf6d..f55ca8d3 100755
--- a/build-tools/branching/push_branches_tags.sh
+++ b/build-tools/branching/push_branches_tags.sh
@@ -215,13 +215,17 @@ for subgit in $SUBGITS; do
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    review_method=$(git_repo_review_method)
-    if [ "${review_method}" == "" ]; then
-        echo_stderr "ERROR: Failed to determine review method in ${subgit}"
-        exit 1
+    if [ $BYPASS_GERRIT -eq 0 ]; then
+        review_method=$(git_repo_review_method)
+        if [ "${review_method}" == "" ]; then
+            echo_stderr "ERROR: Failed to determine review method in ${subgit}"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    else
+        review_method='default'
     fi
 
-    remote=$(git_remote)
+    remote=$(git_repo_remote)
     if [ "${remote}" == "" ]; then
         echo_stderr "ERROR: Failed to determine remote in ${manifest_dir}"
         exit 1
diff --git a/build-tools/git-repo-utils.sh b/build-tools/git-repo-utils.sh
index 395a343e..31b362c4 100644
--- a/build-tools/git-repo-utils.sh
+++ b/build-tools/git-repo-utils.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ source ${GIT_REPO_UTILS_DIR}/repo-utils.sh
 source ${GIT_REPO_UTILS_DIR}/git-utils.sh
 source ${GIT_REPO_UTILS_DIR}/url_utils.sh
 
+git_remote_fp="git_repo_remote"
+
+
 #
 # git_repo_rel_dir [<dir>]:
 #      Return the relative directory of a git within a repo.
diff --git a/build-tools/git-utils.sh b/build-tools/git-utils.sh
index 4e22035a..f947eaf3 100755
--- a/build-tools/git-utils.sh
+++ b/build-tools/git-utils.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ GIT_UTILS_DIR="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" )"
 
 source ${GIT_UTILS_DIR}/utils.sh
 
+# pseudo function pointer for git_remote (fallback) or git_repo_remote (preferred)
+if [ -z git_remote_fp ]; then
+     git_remote_fp="git_remote"
+fi
 
 git_ctx_root_dir () {
     dirname "${MY_REPO}"
@@ -427,6 +431,7 @@ git_local_branch () {
     # This used to work on older git versions
     result=$(git name-rev --name-only HEAD)
     if [ "$result" == "" ] || [ "$result" == "undefined" ]; then
+        echo "HEAD"
         return 1
     fi
 
@@ -436,6 +441,7 @@ git_local_branch () {
     while git_is_tag $result; do
         result=$(git name-rev --name-only $result^1 )
         if [ "$result" == "" ] || [ "$result" == "undefined" ]; then
+            echo "HEAD"
             return 1
         fi
     done
@@ -447,6 +453,7 @@ git_list_remotes () {
     git remote | grep -v gerrit
 }
 
+
 git_remote () {
     local DIR="${1:-${PWD}}"
 
@@ -455,7 +462,7 @@ git_remote () {
     local_branch=$(git_local_branch) || return 1
 
     # Return remote of current local branch, else default remote.
-    git config branch.${local_branch}.remote || git_list_remotes
+    git config branch.${local_branch}.remote || git_list_remotes | head -n 1
     )
 }
 
@@ -473,13 +480,13 @@ git_remote_branch () {
     # Our best bet is if the git config shows the local
     # branch is tracking a remote branch.
     local_branch=$(git_local_branch) || return 1
-    git config branch.${local_branch}.merge | sed 's#^refs/heads/##'
+    git config branch.${local_branch}.merge | grep -v '^refs/tags/' | sed 's#^refs/heads/##'
     if [ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} -eq 0  ]; then
         return 0
     fi
 
     # Before we can select a remote branch, we need to know which remote.
-    remote=$(git_remote)
+    remote=$($git_remote_fp)
     if [ $? -ne 0 ] || [ "$remote" == "" ]; then
         return 1
     fi