diff --git a/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py b/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
index e5c24fbd..3baa3102 100644
--- a/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
+++ b/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import contextlib
 import itertools
 import re
 import time
+import typing
 
 from lxml import html
 
@@ -214,3 +215,17 @@ def prevent_unstaging(st) -> None:
         yield
     finally:
         st.active = True
+
+
+TYPE_MAPPING = {
+    'boolean': 'integer',
+    'date': 'datetime',
+    'monetary': 'float',
+    'selection': 'char',
+    'many2one': 'char',
+}
+def read_tracking_value(tv) -> tuple[str, typing.Any, typing.Any]:
+    field_id = tv.field_id if 'field_id' in tv else tv.field
+    field_type = field_id.field_type if 'field_type' in field_id else field_id.ttype
+    t = TYPE_MAPPING.get(field_type) or field_type
+    return field_id.name, tv[f"old_value_{t}"], tv[f"new_value_{t}"]
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
index 440518e6..afbc491f 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ import requests
 from lxml import html
 
 import odoo
-from utils import _simple_init, seen, matches, get_partner, Commit, pr_page, to_pr, part_of, ensure_one
+from utils import _simple_init, seen, matches, get_partner, Commit, pr_page, to_pr, part_of, ensure_one, read_tracking_value
+
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def _configure_statuses(request, project, repo):
@@ -157,31 +158,29 @@ def test_trivial_flow(env, repo, page, users, config):
 
     # reverse because the messages are in newest-to-oldest by default
     # (as that's how you want to read them)
-    messages = reversed([
-        (m.author_id.display_name, m.body, list(zip(
-            m.tracking_value_ids.get_old_display_value(),
-            m.tracking_value_ids.get_new_display_value(),
-        )))
-        for m in pr_id.message_ids
-    ])
+    messages = pr_id.message_ids[::-1].mapped(lambda m: (
+        m.author_id.display_name,
+        m.body,
+        list(map(read_tracking_value, m.tracking_value_ids)),
+    ))
 
     assert list(messages) == [
         (users['user'], '<p>Pull Request created</p>', []),
-        (users['user'], '', [(c1, c2)]),
-        ('OdooBot', f'<p>statuses changed on {c2}</p>', [('Opened', 'Validated')]),
+        (users['user'], '', [('head', c1, c2)]),
+        ('OdooBot', f'<p>statuses changed on {c2}</p>', [('state', 'Opened', 'Validated')]),
         # reviewer approved changing the state and setting reviewer as reviewer
         # plus set merge method
         ('Reviewer', '', [
-            ('Validated', 'Ready'),
-            ('', 'rebase and merge, using the PR as merge commit message'),
-            ('', 'Reviewer'),
+            ('state', 'Validated', 'Ready'),
+            ('merge_method', '', 'rebase and merge, using the PR as merge commit message'),
+            ('reviewed_by', '', 'Reviewer'),
         ]),
         # staging succeeded
         (matches('$$'), f'<p>staging {st.id} succeeded</p>', [
             # set merge date
-            (False, pr_id.merge_date + 'Z'),
+            ('merge_date', False, pr_id.merge_date),
             # updated state
-            ('Ready', 'Merged'),
+            ('state', 'Ready', 'Merged'),
         ]),
     ]
 
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_patching.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_patching.py
index aa76f8e0..2774599a 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_patching.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_patching.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import xmlrpc.client
 
 import pytest
 
-from utils import Commit
+from utils import Commit, read_tracking_value
 
 # basic udiff / show style patch, updates `b` from `1` to `2`
 BASIC_UDIFF = """\
@@ -23,22 +23,6 @@ index 000000000000..000000000000 100644
 +2
 """
 
-FIELD_MAPPING = {
-    'boolean': ('old_value_integer', 'new_value_integer'),
-    'date': ('old_value_datetime', 'new_value_datetime'),
-    'datetime': ('old_value_datetime', 'new_value_datetime'),
-    'char': ('old_value_char', 'new_value_char'),
-    'float': ('old_value_float', 'new_value_float'),
-    'integer': ('old_value_integer', 'new_value_integer'),
-    'monetary': ('old_value_float', 'new_value_float'),
-    'text': ('old_value_text', 'new_value_text'),
-}
-def read_tracking_value(tv):
-    field_id = tv.field_id if 'field_id' in tv else tv.field
-    field_type = field_id.field_type if 'field_type' in field_id else field_id.ttype
-    old_field_name, new_field_name = FIELD_MAPPING[field_type]
-    return field_id.name, tv[old_field_name], tv[new_field_name]
-
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def _setup(repo):