diff --git a/bots-common/gitea_utils.go b/bots-common/gitea_utils.go
index 26e82a3..8f9134e 100644
--- a/bots-common/gitea_utils.go
+++ b/bots-common/gitea_utils.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import (
 // maintainer list file in ProjectGit
 const (
 	MaintainershipFile = "_maitnainership.json"
-	MaintainershipDir = "maintaineirship"
+	MaintainershipDir  = "maintaineirship"
 )
 
 const (
diff --git a/workflow-pr/main_test.go b/workflow-pr/main_test.go
index d6c188c..3bfcd3e 100644
--- a/workflow-pr/main_test.go
+++ b/workflow-pr/main_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -145,7 +146,9 @@ func TestUpdatePrBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Pull_Request.Base.Sha = strings.TrimSpace(revs[1])
 	req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha = strings.TrimSpace(revs[0])
 
-	updateOrCreatePRBranch(req, git, "created commit", "testing")
+	updateSubmoduleToPR(req, git)
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "commit", "-a", "-m", "created commit"))
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "push", "origin", "+HEAD:+testing"))
 	git.GitExecOrPanic("prj", "reset", "--hard", "testing")
 	rev := strings.TrimSpace(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic(filepath.Join(common.DefaultGitPrj, "testRepo"), "rev-list", "-1", "HEAD"))
 	if rev != req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha {
@@ -181,7 +184,9 @@ func TestCreatePrBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Pull_Request.Base.Sha = strings.TrimSpace(revs[1])
 	req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha = strings.TrimSpace(revs[0])
 
-	updateOrCreatePRBranch(req, git, "created commit", "testingCreated")
+	updateSubmoduleToPR(req, git)
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "commit", "-a", "-m", "created commit"))
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "push", "origin", "+HEAD:testingCreated"))
 
 	rev := strings.TrimSpace(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic(filepath.Join(common.DefaultGitPrj, "testRepo"), "rev-list", "-1", "HEAD"))
 	if rev != req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha {
@@ -189,11 +194,11 @@ func TestCreatePrBranch(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(buf.String())
 	}
 
+		 os.CopyFS("/tmp/test", os.DirFS(git.GitPath))
 	git.GitExecOrPanic("prj", "reset", "--hard", "testingCreated")
 	rev = strings.TrimSpace(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic("prj", "submodule", "status", "testRepo"))[1 : len(req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha)+1]
 	if rev != req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha {
 		t.Error("prj/testRepo not updated to", req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha, "but is at", rev)
 		t.Error(buf.String())
-		// os.CopyFS("/tmp/test", os.DirFS(git.GitPath))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/workflow-pr/pr_processor_opened.go b/workflow-pr/pr_processor_opened.go
index bcc3f79..c5a4441 100644
--- a/workflow-pr/pr_processor_opened.go
+++ b/workflow-pr/pr_processor_opened.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func (o *PullRequestOpened) Process(req *common.PullRequestWebhookEvent, git com
 This commit was autocreated by %s
 referencing
 
-PullRequest: %s/%s#%d`,
+`+common.PrPattern,
 		req.Repository.Owner.Username,
 		req.Repository.Name,
 		GitAuthor,
@@ -37,8 +37,20 @@ PullRequest: %s/%s#%d`,
 	}
 
 	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec("", "clone", "--depth", "1", prjGit.SSHURL, common.DefaultGitPrj))
-	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "checkout", "-B", branchName, prjGit.DefaultBranch))
-	updateOrCreatePRBranch(req, git, commitMsg, branchName)
+	err = git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "fetch", "origin", branchName+":"+branchName)
+	if err != nil {
+		common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "checkout", "-B", branchName, prjGit.DefaultBranch))
+	} else {
+		common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "checkout", branchName))
+	}
+	subList, err := git.GitSubmoduleList(common.DefaultGitPrj, "HEAD")
+	common.PanicOnError(err)
+
+	if id := subList[req.Repository.Name]; id != req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha {
+		updateSubmoduleToPR(req, git)
+		common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "commit", "-a", "-m", commitMsg))
+		common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "push", "origin", "+HEAD:"+branchName))
+	}
 
 	PR, err := o.gitea.CreatePullRequestIfNotExist(prjGit, branchName, prjGit.DefaultBranch,
 		fmt.Sprintf("Forwarded PR: %s", req.Repository.Name),
diff --git a/workflow-pr/pr_processor_sync.go b/workflow-pr/pr_processor_sync.go
index 2d051e3..4db2d08 100644
--- a/workflow-pr/pr_processor_sync.go
+++ b/workflow-pr/pr_processor_sync.go
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@ func prGitBranchNameForPR(req *common.PullRequestWebhookEvent) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("PR_%s#%d", req.Repository.Name, req.Pull_Request.Number)
 }
 
-func updateOrCreatePRBranch(req *common.PullRequestWebhookEvent, git common.Git, commitMsg, branchName string) {
+func updateSubmoduleToPR(req *common.PullRequestWebhookEvent, git common.Git) {
 	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "submodule", "update", "--init", "--checkout", "--depth", "1", req.Repository.Name))
 	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(path.Join(common.DefaultGitPrj, req.Repository.Name), "fetch", "--depth", "1", "origin", req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha))
 	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(path.Join(common.DefaultGitPrj, req.Repository.Name), "checkout", req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha))
-	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "commit", "-a", "-m", commitMsg))
-	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "push", "origin", "+HEAD:"+branchName))
 }
 
 func processPrjGitPullRequestSync(req *common.PullRequestWebhookEvent) error {
@@ -78,6 +76,8 @@ Update to %s`, req.Pull_Request.Head.Sha)
 
 	// we need to update prjgit PR with the new head hash
 	branchName := prGitBranchNameForPR(req)
-	updateOrCreatePRBranch(req, git, commitMsg, branchName)
+	updateSubmoduleToPR(req, git)
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "commit", "-a", "-m", commitMsg))
+	common.PanicOnError(git.GitExec(common.DefaultGitPrj, "push", "origin", "+HEAD:"+branchName))
 	return nil
 }