diff --git a/pusher b/pusher
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..dcdde22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pusher
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+tmpfile=$(mktemp pusher.XXXXXX)
+cleanup()
+{
+	rm -f "$tmpfile"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+. .settings
+
+needed=(PUSH_URL PR_SRC_USER PR_TARGET TOKEN)
+for i in "${needed[@]}"; do
+	eval test -n "\$$i" || { echo "The following settings are mandatory: ${needed[*]}"; exit 1; }
+done
+
+declare -A commits
+
+for m in "${!commits[@]}"; do
+	if git send-pack --force "$PUSH_URL" "${commits[$m]}:refs/heads/update_$m"; then
+		#https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/18842
+		if curl -s -f "$PR_TARGET" \
+			-H "accept: application/json" \
+			-H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
+			-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+			-d "{ \"base\": \"main\", \"head\": \"$PR_SRC_USER:update_$m\", \"title\": \"Update $m\"}" > "$tmpfile"; then
+			prid=$(jq .id < "$tmpfile")
+			echo "filed pr #$prid for $m"
+		else
+			echo "failed to file pr for $m"
+			jq .message < "$tmpfile"
+		fi
+	else
+		echo "failed to push $m update" >&2
+		jq .message < "$tmpfile"
+	fi
+done
diff --git a/updatemodules b/updatemodules
index 7e1fe0e..badf51c 100755
--- a/updatemodules
+++ b/updatemodules
@@ -1,15 +1,34 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
 allatonce=
-pushurl="gitea@gitea.opensuse.org:lnussel/core.git"
-prsrcusr="lnussel"
-prtarget="https://gitea.opensuse.org/api/v1/repos/mold/core/pulls"
 
-if [ "$1" = '--allatonce' ]; then
-	allatonce=1
-	shift
-fi
+helpandquit()
+{
+	cat <<-EOF
+		Usage: $0 [OPTIONS] [<module> ...]
+		OPTIONS:
+		  -allatonce create dir from filename before extracting
+		  -h         help screen
+	EOF
+	exit 0
+}
 
-modules=($@)
+getopttmp=$(getopt -o h --long help,allatonce -n "${0##*/}" -- "$@")
+eval set -- "$getopttmp"
+
+while true ; do
+        case "$1" in
+                -h|--help) helpandquit; shift ;;
+                --allatonce) allatonce=1; shift ;;
+                --) shift ; break ;;
+                *) echo "Internal error!" ; exit 1 ;;
+        esac
+done
+
+. .settings
+
+modules=("$@")
 origin="$(git config --get remote.origin.url)"
 now="$(date "+%s %z")"
 # FIXME: hardcoded to avoid changing commits for now
@@ -20,6 +39,7 @@ export GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="$now"
 export GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Auto"
 export GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="auto@suse.de"
 export GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="$now"
+commit_base="origin/main"
 
 tmpfile=$(mktemp updatemodules.XXXXXX)
 cleanup()
@@ -28,14 +48,12 @@ cleanup()
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
-read -r token < token || exit 1
-
 # read all submodules
 declare -A revs
 while read -r m t cid p; do
 	[ "$t" = "commit" ] || continue
 	revs["$p"]="$cid"
-done < <(git cat-file -p "HEAD^{tree}")
+done < <(git cat-file -p "$commit_base^{tree}")
 
 if [ -z "$modules" ]; then
        modules=("${!revs[@]}")
@@ -43,11 +61,12 @@ fi
 
 # check remotes for updates
 declare -A commits
-treetext=$(git cat-file -p "HEAD^{tree}")
+treetext=$(git cat-file -p "$commit_base^{tree}")
+gitmodules=$(git cat-file -p "$commit_base":.gitmodules)
 for m in "${modules[@]}"; do
-	path="$(git config -f .gitmodules --get "submodule.$m.path")"
-	url="$(git config -f .gitmodules --get "submodule.$m.url")"
-	branch="$(git config -f .gitmodules --get "submodule.$m.branch")"
+	path="$(echo "$gitmodules" | git config -f /dev/stdin --get "submodule.$m.path")"
+	url="$(echo "$gitmodules" | git config -f /dev/stdin --get "submodule.$m.url")"
+	branch="$(echo "$gitmodules" | git config -f /dev/stdin --get "submodule.$m.branch")"
 	if [ -z "$path" ] || [ -z "$url" ]; then
 		echo "$m unknown" >&2
 		continue
@@ -66,35 +85,24 @@ for m in "${modules[@]}"; do
 		if [ "$allatonce" = 1 ]; then
 			treetext="${treetext/${revs[$path]}	$path/$cid	$path}"
 		else
-			newtree="$(git cat-file -p "HEAD^{tree}" | sed -e "s/${revs[$path]}\t$path/$cid\t$path/" | git mktree)"
-			newcid="$(git commit-tree -p HEAD -m "Update $m" "$newtree")"
+			newtree="$(git cat-file -p "$commit_base^{tree}" | sed -e "s/${revs[$path]}\t$path/$cid\t$path/" | git mktree)"
+			newcid="$(git commit-tree -p "$commit_base" -m "Update $m" "$newtree")"
 			commits["$m"]="$newcid"
 		fi
 	fi
 done
 
 if [ "$allatonce" = 1 ]; then
-		newtree="$(echo "$treetext" | git mktree)"
-		newcid="$(git commit-tree -p HEAD -m "Update all" "$newtree")"
-		commits["all"]="$newcid"
+	newtree="$(echo "$treetext" | git mktree)"
+	newcid="$(git commit-tree -p "$commit_base" -m "Update all" "$newtree")"
+	commits["all"]="$newcid"
 fi
 
 for m in "${!commits[@]}"; do
-	if git send-pack --force "$pushurl" "${commits[$m]}:refs/heads/update_$m"; then
-		#https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/18842
-		if curl -s -f "$prtarget" \
-			-H "accept: application/json" \
-			-H "Authorization: token $token" \
-			-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-			-d "{ \"base\": \"main\", \"head\": \"$prsrcusr:update_$m\", \"title\": \"Update $m\"}" > "$tmpfile"; then
-			prid=$(jq .id < "$tmpfile")
-			echo "filed pr #$prid for $m"
-		else
-			echo "failed to file pr for $m"
-			jq .message < "$tmpfile"
-		fi
-	else
-		echo "failed to push $m update" >&2
-		jq .message < "$tmpfile"
+	mkdir -p ".scripts/push"
+	if [ -e ".scripts/push/$m" ]; then
+		read -r cid < ".scripts/push/$m"
+		[ "$cid" = "${commits[$m]}" ] || echo "Warning: previous commit $cid for $m" >&2
 	fi
+	echo "${commits[$m]}" > ".scripts/push/$m"
 done