diff --git a/.ci/merge-fixes.sh b/.ci/merge-fixes.sh
index 8ee138660ec..b3ad66cb013 100755
--- a/.ci/merge-fixes.sh
+++ b/.ci/merge-fixes.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ else
         git tag -f test_head
         $GH pr checkout -b pr-$a $a
         git checkout -q test_head
-        if git merge --no-edit --squash -q pr-$a; then
+        if git merge --no-edit --squash --allow-unrelated-histories -q pr-$a; then
             echo "::endgroup::"
             if git commit -q -m "Merge https://github.com/$REPO/pull/$a" -a --no-allow-empty; then
                 echo "Merged #$a"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 5f466d3a285..b504adb2913 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -27,43 +27,39 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  get_ci_fixes:
+  build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-${{ github.event.inputs.platform || 'ubuntu-focal-standard' }}-with-targets:${{ github.event.inputs.docker_tag || 'dev'}}
     steps:
+      - name: Install git (macos)
+        if: runner.os == 'macOS'
+        run: |
+          brew update
+          brew install git
+
+      - name: Install git (linux)
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+        run: |
+          apt update
+          apt install -y git
+  
       - name: Checkout
         id: checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install GH CLI
+        uses: dev-hanz-ops/install-gh-cli-action@v0.1.0
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
+        with:
+          gh-cli-version: 2.32.0
+
       - name: Merge CI fixes from sagemath/sage
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
         run: |
+          git config --global --add safe.directory "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
           .ci/merge-fixes.sh
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-      - name: Store CI fixes in upstream artifact
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p upstream
-          if git format-patch --stdout test_base > ci_fixes.patch; then
-            cp ci_fixes.patch upstream/
-          fi
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-  build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-${{ github.event.inputs.platform || 'ubuntu-focal-standard' }}-with-targets:${{ github.event.inputs.docker_tag || 'dev'}}
-    needs: [get_ci_fixes]
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        id: checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Update system packages
-        id: prepare
-        run: |
-          export PATH="build/bin:$PATH"
-          eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto update)
-          eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto --spkg --yes --no-install-recommends install git)
 
       - name: Add prebuilt tree as a worktree
         id: worktree
@@ -72,19 +68,6 @@ jobs:
           git config --global --add safe.directory $(pwd)
           .ci/retrofit-worktree.sh worktree-image /sage
 
-      - name: Download upstream artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-      - name: Apply CI fixes from sagemath/sage
-        # After applying the fixes, make sure all changes are marked as uncommitted changes.
-        run: |
-          if [ -r upstream/ci_fixes.patch ]; then
-            (cd worktree-image && git commit -q -m "current changes" --allow-empty -a && git am; git reset --quiet old; git add -N .) < upstream/ci_fixes.patch
-          fi
-
       - name: Incremental build
         id: incremental
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-conda.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-conda.yml
index 2240c224a52..97a535239e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-conda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-conda.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Merge CI fixes from sagemath/sage
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
         run: |
           .ci/merge-fixes.sh
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/doc-build-pdf.yml b/.github/workflows/doc-build-pdf.yml
index 1d14d0c29f7..d220c3280c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/doc-build-pdf.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/doc-build-pdf.yml
@@ -21,43 +21,46 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  get_ci_fixes:
+  build-docs-pdf:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-${{ github.event.inputs.platform || 'ubuntu-focal-standard' }}-with-targets:${{ github.event.inputs.docker_tag || 'dev'}}
     steps:
+      - name: Install git (macos)
+        if: runner.os == 'macOS'
+        run: |
+          brew update
+          brew install git
+
+      - name: Install git (linux)
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+        run: |
+          apt update
+          apt install -y git
+
       - name: Checkout
         id: checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install GH CLI
+        uses: dev-hanz-ops/install-gh-cli-action@v0.1.0
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
+        with:
+          gh-cli-version: 2.32.0
+
       - name: Merge CI fixes from sagemath/sage
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
         run: |
+          git config --global --add safe.directory "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
           .ci/merge-fixes.sh
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-      - name: Store CI fixes in upstream artifact
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p upstream
-          if git format-patch --stdout test_base > ci_fixes.patch; then
-            cp ci_fixes.patch upstream/
-          fi
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-  build-docs-pdf:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-${{ github.event.inputs.platform || 'ubuntu-focal-standard' }}-with-targets:${{ github.event.inputs.docker_tag || 'dev'}}
-    needs: [get_ci_fixes]
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Update system packages
         run: |
           export PATH="build/bin:$PATH"
           eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto update)
           eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto --yes --no-install-recommends install zip)
-          eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto --spkg --yes --no-install-recommends install git texlive)
-
+          eval $(sage-print-system-package-command auto --spkg --yes --no-install-recommends install texlive)
 
       - name: Add prebuilt tree as a worktree
         id: worktree
@@ -67,19 +70,6 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "Build & Test workflow"
           .ci/retrofit-worktree.sh worktree-image /sage
 
-      - name: Download upstream artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-      - name: Apply CI fixes from sagemath/sage
-        # After applying the fixes, make sure all changes are marked as uncommitted changes.
-        run: |
-          if [ -r upstream/ci_fixes.patch ]; then
-            (cd worktree-image && git commit -q -m "current changes" --allow-empty -a && git am; git reset --quiet old; git add -N .) < upstream/ci_fixes.patch
-          fi
-
       - name: Incremental build
         id: incremental
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/doc-build.yml b/.github/workflows/doc-build.yml
index 3660ff3a947..34190314490 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/doc-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/doc-build.yml
@@ -16,39 +16,30 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  get_ci_fixes:
+  build-docs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-ubuntu-focal-standard-with-targets:dev
     steps:
+      - name: Update system packages
+        run: |
+          apt-get update && apt-get install -y git zip
+
       - name: Checkout
-        id: checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install GH CLI
+        uses: dev-hanz-ops/install-gh-cli-action@v0.1.0
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
+        with:
+          gh-cli-version: 2.32.0
+
       - name: Merge CI fixes from sagemath/sage
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
         run: |
+          git config --global --add safe.directory "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
           .ci/merge-fixes.sh
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-      - name: Store CI fixes in upstream artifact
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p upstream
-          if git format-patch --stdout test_base > ci_fixes.patch; then
-            cp ci_fixes.patch upstream/
-          fi
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-  build-docs:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container: ghcr.io/sagemath/sage/sage-ubuntu-focal-standard-with-targets:dev
-    needs: [get_ci_fixes]
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Update system packages
-        run: |
-          apt-get update && apt-get install -y git zip
 
       - name: Add prebuilt tree as a worktree
         id: worktree
@@ -74,19 +65,6 @@ jobs:
            (echo ".buildinfo"; echo '*.inv'; echo '.git*'; echo '*.svg'; echo '*.pdf'; echo '*.png'; echo 'searchindex.js') > .gitignore; \
            git add -A && git commit --quiet -m "old")
 
-      - name: Download upstream artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          path: upstream
-          name: upstream
-
-      - name: Apply CI fixes from sagemath/sage
-        # After applying the fixes, make sure all changes are marked as uncommitted changes.
-        run: |
-          if [ -r upstream/ci_fixes.patch ]; then
-            (cd worktree-image && git commit -q -m "current changes" --allow-empty -a && git am; git reset --quiet old; git add -N .) < upstream/ci_fixes.patch
-          fi
-
       - name: Incremental build
         id: incremental
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 41560674b49..e906c00512f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: Merge CI fixes from sagemath/sage
+      if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event.repository.fork }}
       run: |
         .ci/merge-fixes.sh
       env: