diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b64d1ca..c2e2006 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ REMOTE="origin"
 BASE_BRANCH="main"
 # optional: fixed date or a filename prefixed with @ to get a stable date for testing
 DATE="@token"
-# optional: an OBS project with a list of packages
-OBSPKGLIST="https://api.opensuse.org/public/source/openSUSE:Factory:Rings:0-Bootstrap"
+# optional: OBS projects with a list of packages
+OBS_PROJECTS="openSUSE:Factory:Rings:0-Bootstrap"
 ```
 
 Scripts:
@@ -36,13 +36,16 @@ Scripts:
 All scripts use getopt, --help may not always be up to date though
 :-)
 
+- obspkglist: given obs projects, prints all packages in those projects that
+  are also in gitea
 - updatemodules: checks all submodules for updates. For packages
   that need to be updated creates `refs/pq/$packagename`. The
   updated refence there updates the submodule commit reference for
   updates. It also adds or removes entries from/to `.gitmodules` if
   needed. There's also a `--single` option which produces a single
   reference for all updates. The `--status` option show the current
-  state.
+  state. Use --packages-from to read a package list produced by `obspkglist`.
+  With the list the script can also add or drop packages.
 - pusher: compares the references created by the `updatemodules`
   script with the specified remote. Pushed pending refs to an
   `update_$packagename` ref. Gitea doesn't seem to support refs in
diff --git a/obspkglist b/obspkglist
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..efad9f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/obspkglist
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# https://api.opensuse.org/public/source/openSUSE:Factory:Rings:0-Bootstrap
+APIURL="https://api.opensuse.org"
+GITEA_PACKAGES="https://gitea.opensuse.org/api/v1/repos/rpm"
+OBS_PROJECTS=()
+
+# command line only
+packages_from=
+single=
+verbose=0
+cfg_file=
+
+###################
+
+declare -A packages
+
+helpandquit()
+{
+	cat <<-EOF
+		Usage: $0 [OPTIONS] [<projects> ...]
+		OPTIONS:
+		  --apiurl=URL OBS api url
+		  --single   create single commit for all changes
+		  -h         help screen
+	EOF
+	exit 0
+}
+
+log_info()
+{
+	[ "$verbose" -gt 0 ] || return 0
+	echo "$@"
+}
+
+getopttmp=$(getopt -o hc:v --long help,config:,verbose,apiurl: -n "${0##*/}" -- "$@")
+eval set -- "$getopttmp"
+
+while true ; do
+        case "$1" in
+                -h|--help) helpandquit; shift ;;
+		-v|--verbose) verbose=$((++verbose)); shift ;;
+                -c|--config) cfg_file="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+                --apiurl) APIURL="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+                --) shift ; break ;;
+                *) echo "Internal error!" ; exit 1 ;;
+        esac
+done
+
+[ $# ] && OBS_PROJECTS=("$@")
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+. "${cfg_file:-.settings}" 2>/dev/null || :
+
+for prj in "${OBS_PROJECTS[@]}"; do
+	while read -r p l; do
+		if [ -n "$l" ]; then
+			echo "Warning: link $p -> $l ignored" >&2
+			continue
+		fi
+		packages["$p"]=1
+	done < <(curl -s -f "$APIURL/public/source/$prj"|sed -ne 's/.*entry name="\([^"]*\)"\( \+originpackage="\([^"]*\)"\)\?.*\/>/\1 \3/p'|sort -u)
+done
+
+for p in "${!packages[@]}"; do
+	# XXX: unfortuantely plain git would ask for auth
+	if ! curl -s -f "$GITEA_PACKAGES/$p" >/dev/null; then
+		log_info "Warning: $p not found in $GITEA_PACKAGES" >&2
+		continue
+	fi
+	echo "$p"
+done
diff --git a/updatemodules b/updatemodules
index 70eca6d..6b05c96 100755
--- a/updatemodules
+++ b/updatemodules
@@ -7,12 +7,11 @@ REMOTE="origin"
 BASE_BRANCH="main"
 PACKAGE_BASE_URL=
 PACKAGE_RELATIVE_URL="../../rpm"
-# https://api.opensuse.org/public/source/openSUSE:Factory:Rings:0-Bootstrap
-OBSPKGLIST=
 DATE="$(date "+%s %z")"
-keep["dummy-release"]=1
+PACKAGES_KEEP=
 
 # command line only
+packages_from=
 single=
 verbose=0
 cfg_file=
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ cfg_file=
 # constant needed to aid quoting
 nl=$'\n'
 
-declare -A obs
+declare -A packages
 declare -A new
 declare -A drop
 declare -A revs
@@ -33,6 +32,7 @@ helpandquit()
 	cat <<-EOF
 		Usage: $0 [OPTIONS] [<module> ...]
 		OPTIONS:
+		  --packages-from=FILE   read list of packges to sync from FILE
 		  --single   create single commit for all changes
 		  -h         help screen
 	EOF
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ makedict()
 	done
 }
 
-getopttmp=$(getopt -o hc:v --long help,single,branch:,config:,date:,remote:,status,verbose,clear -n "${0##*/}" -- "$@")
+getopttmp=$(getopt -o hc:v --long help,single,branch:,config:,date:,remote:,status,verbose,clear,packages-from: -n "${0##*/}" -- "$@")
 eval set -- "$getopttmp"
 
 while true ; do
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ while true ; do
 		-v|--verbose) verbose=$((++verbose)); shift ;;
                 -c|--config) cfg_file="$2"; shift 2 ;;
                 --single) single=1; shift ;;
+                --packages-from) packages_from="$2"; shift 2 ;;
                 --remote) REMOTE="$2"; shift 2 ;;
                 --branch) BASE_BRANCH="$2"; shift 2 ;;
 		--status) show_status; exit 0 ;;
@@ -107,6 +108,10 @@ PACKAGE_BASE_URL="$(git config --get remote."$REMOTE".url)"
 # shellcheck disable=SC1090
 . "${cfg_file:-.settings}"
 
+for p in $PACKAGES_KEEP; do
+	keep["$p"]=1
+done
+
 if [ "${DATE:0:1}" = '@' ]; then
 	DATE="$(stat -c %Y "${DATE:1}") +0100"
 fi
@@ -135,14 +140,13 @@ while read -r m t cid p; do
 	revs["$p"]="$cid"
 done < <(git cat-file -p "$REMOTE/$BASE_BRANCH^{tree}")
 
-if [ -n "$OBSPKGLIST" ]; then
+if [ -n "$packages_from" ]; then
 	while read -r p; do
-		obs["$p"]=1
+		packages["$p"]=1
 		[ -n "${revs[$p]}" ] || new["$p"]=1
-	done < <(curl -s -f "$OBSPKGLIST"|sed -ne 's/.*entry name="\([^":]*\).*\/>/\1/p'|sort -u  | grep -v AGGR)
-
+	done < "$packages_from"
 	for m in "${!revs[@]}"; do
-		[ -n "${obs[$m]}" -o -n "${keep[$m]}" ] || drop["$m"]=1
+		[ -n "${packages[$m]}" -o -n "${keep[$m]}" ] || drop["$m"]=1
 	done
 fi
 
@@ -184,9 +188,9 @@ for m in "${modules[@]}"; do
 
 	cid=
 	if ! todrop "$m"; then
-		read -r cid _d < <(git ls-remote "$url" "${smbranch:-HEAD}")
+		read -r cid _d < <(GIT_ASKPASS=/bin/true git ls-remote "$url" "${smbranch:-HEAD}" 2>/dev/null) || true
 		if [ -z "$cid" ]; then
-			echo "$path not in pool" >&2
+			echo "Warning: $path not in pool, ignored" >&2
 			continue
 		fi
 	fi