diff --git a/devel-importer/main.go b/devel-importer/main.go
index 77caa71..ba82e31 100644
--- a/devel-importer/main.go
+++ b/devel-importer/main.go
@@ -146,7 +146,9 @@ func listMaintainers(obs *common.ObsClient, prj string, pkgs []string) {
 			log.Panicln(err)
 		}
 
-		contact_email = append(contact_email, fmt.Sprintf("%s <%s>", user.Name, user.Email))
+		if user != nil {
+			contact_email = append(contact_email, fmt.Sprintf("%s <%s>", user.Name, user.Email))
+		}
 	}
 	log.Println(strings.Join(contact_email, ", "))
 }
@@ -409,6 +411,9 @@ func importDevelRepoAndCheckHistory(pkg string, meta *common.PackageMeta) *model
 			if err2 := cloneDevel(git, "", pkg, meta.ScmSync, "origin", true); err2 != nil {
 				log.Panicln(err2)
 			}
+			if len(u.Fragment) == 0 {
+				u.Fragment = "HEAD"
+			}
 			git.GitExecOrPanic(pkg, "checkout", "-B", "main", u.Fragment)
 		}
 		common.LogDebug("skip check for scmsync")
@@ -454,6 +459,24 @@ func importDevelRepoAndCheckHistory(pkg string, meta *common.PackageMeta) *model
 		return repo
 	}
 
+	return repo
+}
+
+func SetMainBranch(pkg string) {
+	// scnsync, follow that and don't care
+	remotes := common.SplitStringNoEmpty(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic(pkg, "remote", "show"), "\n")
+	if slices.Contains(remotes, "origin") {
+		git.GitExecOrPanic(pkg, "checkout", "-B", "main", "origin/HEAD")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// check if we have factory
+	if _, err := git.GitBranchHead(pkg, "factory"); err != nil {
+		if len(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic(pkg, "show-ref", "pool/factory")) > 20 {
+			git.GitExecOrPanic(pkg, "branch", "factory", "pool/factory")
+		}
+	}
+
 	// mark newer branch as main
 	branch := "factory"
 	if len(common.SplitStringNoEmpty(git.GitExecWithOutputOrPanic(pkg, "rev-list", "^factory", "devel"), "\n")) > 0 {
@@ -461,7 +484,6 @@ func importDevelRepoAndCheckHistory(pkg string, meta *common.PackageMeta) *model
 	}
 	common.LogInfo("setting main to", branch)
 	git.GitExecOrPanic(pkg, "checkout", "-B", "main", branch)
-	return repo
 }
 
 func ObsToRepoName(obspkg string) string {
@@ -500,6 +522,7 @@ func importRepo(pkg string) (BrokenFactoryPackage, FailedImport bool) {
 		develRepo = importDevelRepoAndCheckHistory(pkg, meta)
 	}
 
+	SetMainBranch(pkg)
 	PushRepository(factoryRepo, develRepo, pkg)
 	return
 }