diff --git a/gitlab-ci.yml b/gitlab-ci.yml
index bcd96cae3a1869f5979bf2db7d6b2d5d41a7f5b9..d7584efa6a9739c5a0d35f8efe09d842359c508f 100644
--- a/gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -52,11 +52,9 @@ sync:
   script:
     - echo "[${GIT_PULL_REPO}#${GIT_PULL_BRANCH:-master}] -> [${GIT_PUSH_REPO}#${GIT_PUSH_BRANCH:-master}]"
     - rm -rf /tmp/repo
-    - git clone "${GIT_PUSH_REPO}" /tmp/repo
+    - git clone "${GIT_PULL_REPO}" -b "${GIT_PULL_BRANCH:-master}" /tmp/repo
     - cd /tmp/repo
-    - git checkout "${GIT_PUSH_BRANCH:-master}"
-    - git remote add upstream "${GIT_PULL_REPO}"
-    - test -n "${GIT_TAGS}" && git fetch upstream --tags || true
-    - git pull --ff-only upstream "${GIT_PULL_BRANCH:-master}"
-    - git push --force origin "${GIT_PUSH_BRANCH:-master}"
-    - test -n "${GIT_TAGS}" && git push --force origin --tags || true
+    - test -n "${GIT_TAGS}" && git fetch --tags || true
+    - git remote add downstream "${GIT_PUSH_REPO}"
+    - git push --force downstream "${GIT_PUSH_BRANCH:-master}"
+    - test -n "${GIT_TAGS}" && git push --force downstream --tags || true