diff --git a/forwardport/models/forwardport.py b/forwardport/models/forwardport.py
index e8eca387..9519e8ef 100644
--- a/forwardport/models/forwardport.py
+++ b/forwardport/models/forwardport.py
@@ -49,19 +49,7 @@ class ForwardPortTasks(models.Model, Queue):
 
     def _process_item(self):
         batch = self.batch_id
-
         newbatch = batch.prs._port_forward()
-        # insert new barch in ancestry sequence unless conflict (= no parent)
-        if self.source == 'insert':
-            for pr in newbatch.prs:
-                if not pr.parent_id:
-                    break
-                newchild = pr.search([
-                    ('parent_id', '=', pr.parent_id.id),
-                    ('id', '!=', pr.id),
-                ])
-                if newchild:
-                    newchild.parent_id = pr.id
 
         if newbatch:
             _logger.info(
@@ -70,6 +58,17 @@ class ForwardPortTasks(models.Model, Queue):
                 batch, batch.prs,
                 newbatch, newbatch.prs,
             )
+            # insert new batch in ancestry sequence unless conflict (= no parent)
+            if self.source == 'insert':
+                for pr in newbatch.prs:
+                    if not pr.parent_id:
+                        break
+                    newchild = pr.search([
+                        ('parent_id', '=', pr.parent_id.id),
+                        ('id', '!=', pr.id),
+                    ])
+                    if newchild:
+                        newchild.parent_id = pr.id
         else: # reached end of seq (or batch is empty)
             # FIXME: or configuration is fucky so doesn't want to FP (maybe should error and retry?)
             _logger.info(
diff --git a/forwardport/tests/test_weird.py b/forwardport/tests/test_weird.py
index 31c9e777..b569f66d 100644
--- a/forwardport/tests/test_weird.py
+++ b/forwardport/tests/test_weird.py
@@ -659,6 +659,88 @@ def test_skip_ci_next(env, config, make_repo):
     assert pr1_id.state == 'opened'
     assert pr2_id.state == 'opened'
 
+def test_retarget_after_freeze(env, config, make_repo, users):
+    """Turns out it was possible to trip the forwardbot if you're a bit of a
+    dick: the forward port cron was not resilient to forward port failure in
+    case of filling in new branches (forward ports existing across a branch
+    insertion so the fwbot would have to "fill in" for the new branch).
+
+    But it turns out causing such failure is possible by e.g. regargeting the
+    latter port. In that case the reinsertion task should just do nothing, and
+    the retargeted PR should be forward-ported normally once merged.
+    """
+    project, prod, _ = make_basic(env, config, make_repo, fp_token=True, fp_remote=True)
+    with prod:
+        [c] = prod.make_commits('b', Commit('thing', tree={'x': '1'}), ref='heads/mypr')
+        pr = prod.make_pr(target='b', head='mypr')
+        prod.post_status(c, 'success', 'ci/runbot')
+        prod.post_status(c, 'success', 'legal/cla')
+        pr.post_comment('hansen r+', config['role_reviewer']['token'])
+    env.run_crons()
+
+    original_pr_id = to_pr(env, pr)
+    assert original_pr_id.state == 'ready'
+    assert original_pr_id.staging_id
+
+    with prod:
+        prod.post_status('staging.b', 'success', 'ci/runbot')
+        prod.post_status('staging.b', 'success', 'legal/cla')
+    env.run_crons()
+    # should have created a pr targeted to C
+    port_id = env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([('state', 'not in', ('merged', 'closed'))])
+    assert len(port_id) == 1
+    assert port_id.target.name == 'c'
+    assert port_id.source_id == original_pr_id
+    assert port_id.parent_id == original_pr_id
+
+    # because the module doesn't update the ordering of `branch_ids` to take
+    # `fp_sequence` in account so it's misleading
+    branch_c, branch_b, branch_a = branches_before = project.branch_ids.sorted('fp_sequence')
+    assert [branch_a.name, branch_b.name, branch_c.name] == ['a', 'b', 'c']
+    # create branch so cron runs correctly
+    with prod: prod.make_ref('heads/bprime', prod.get_ref('c'))
+    project.write({
+        'branch_ids': [
+            (1, branch_c.id, {'sequence': 1, 'fp_sequence': 20}),
+            (0, 0, {'name': 'bprime', 'sequence': 2, 'fp_sequence': 20, 'fp_target': True}),
+            (1, branch_b.id, {'sequence': 3, 'fp_sequence': 20}),
+            (1, branch_a.id, {'sequence': 4, 'fp_sequence': 20}),
+        ]
+    })
+    new_branch = project.branch_ids - branches_before
+    assert new_branch.name == 'bprime'
+
+    # should have added a job for the new fp
+    job = env['forwardport.batches'].search([])
+    assert job
+
+    # fuck up yo life: retarget the existing FP PR to the new branch
+    port_id.target = new_branch.id
+
+    env.run_crons('forwardport.port_forward')
+    assert not job.exists(), "job should have succeeded and apoptosed"
+
+    # since the PR was "already forward-ported" to the new branch it should not
+    # be touched
+    assert env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([('state', 'not in', ('merged', 'closed'))]) == port_id
+
+    # merge the retargered PR
+    port_pr = prod.get_pr(port_id.number)
+    with prod:
+        prod.post_status(port_pr.head, 'success', 'ci/runbot')
+        prod.post_status(port_pr.head, 'success', 'legal/cla')
+        port_pr.post_comment('hansen r+', config['role_reviewer']['token'])
+    env.run_crons()
+    with prod:
+        prod.post_status('staging.bprime', 'success', 'ci/runbot')
+        prod.post_status('staging.bprime', 'success', 'legal/cla')
+    env.run_crons()
+
+    new_pr_id = env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([('state', 'not in', ('merged', 'closed'))])
+    assert len(new_pr_id) == 1
+    assert new_pr_id.parent_id == port_id
+    assert new_pr_id.target == branch_c
+
 def test_approve_draft(env, config, make_repo, users):
     _, prod, _ = make_basic(env, config, make_repo, fp_token=True, fp_remote=True)