diff --git a/forwardport/models/project.py b/forwardport/models/project.py
index c3d4806d..0031b61b 100644
--- a/forwardport/models/project.py
+++ b/forwardport/models/project.py
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ stderr:
 {err}
 """
 
-            target_head = source.stdout().rev_parse(target_branch.name).stdout.decode().strip()
+            target_head = source.stdout().rev_parse(f"refs/heads/{target_branch.name}")\
+                .stdout.decode().strip()
             commit = conf.commit_tree(
                 tree=tree.stdout.decode().splitlines(keepends=False)[0],
                 parents=[target_head],
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ stderr:
         logger = _logger.getChild(str(self.id)).getChild('cherrypick')
 
         # target's head
-        head = repo.stdout().rev_parse(branch).stdout.decode().strip()
+        head = repo.stdout().rev_parse(f"refs/heads/{branch}").stdout.decode().strip()
 
         commits = self.commits()
         logger.info(
diff --git a/runbot_merge/models/project_freeze/__init__.py b/runbot_merge/models/project_freeze/__init__.py
index 0a39ceae..7af53f27 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/models/project_freeze/__init__.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/models/project_freeze/__init__.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class FreezeWizard(models.Model):
             for r in self.project_id.repo_ids
         }
         for repo, copy in repos.items():
-            copy.fetch(git.source_url(repo), '+refs/heads/*:refs/heads/*')
+            copy.fetch(git.source_url(repo), '+refs/heads/*:refs/heads/*', no_tags=True)
         all_prs = self.release_pr_ids.pr_id | self.bump_pr_ids.pr_id
         for pr in all_prs:
             repos[pr.repository].fetch(
diff --git a/runbot_merge/models/stagings_create.py b/runbot_merge/models/stagings_create.py
index 75464045..08734958 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/models/stagings_create.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/models/stagings_create.py
@@ -244,7 +244,8 @@ def staging_setup(
             # be hooked only to "proper" remote-tracking branches
             # (in `refs/remotes`), it doesn't seem to work here
             f'+refs/heads/{target.name}:refs/heads/{target.name}',
-            *(pr.head for pr in by_repo.get(repo, []))
+            *(pr.head for pr in by_repo.get(repo, [])),
+            no_tags=True,
         )
         original_heads[repo] = head
         staging_state[repo] = StagingSlice(gh=gh, head=head, repo=source.stdout().with_config(text=True, check=False))