diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index 5c2b1f93..ae717c5d 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ class Repo:
         )
         return h
 
-    def make_commits(self, root, *commits, ref=None):
+    def make_commits(self, root, *commits, ref=None, make=True):
         assert self.hook
         if isinstance(root, list):
             parents = root
@@ -567,7 +567,8 @@ class Repo:
             parents = [hashes[-1]]
 
         if ref:
-            self.make_ref(ref, hashes[-1], force=True)
+            fn = self.make_ref if make else self.update_ref
+            fn(ref, hashes[-1], force=True)
 
         return hashes
 
@@ -925,7 +926,7 @@ class Model:
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if not isinstance(other, Model):
             return NotImplemented
-        return self._model == other._model and self._ids == other._ids
+        return self._model == other._model and set(self._ids) == set(other._ids)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "{}({})".format(self._model, ', '.join(str(id_) for id_ in self._ids))
@@ -950,6 +951,10 @@ class Model:
     def unlink(self):
         return self._env(self._model, 'unlink', self._ids)
 
+    def sorted(self, field):
+        rs = sorted(self.read([field]), key=lambda r: r[field])
+        return Model(self._env, self._model, [r['id'] for r in rs])
+
     def __getitem__(self, index):
         if isinstance(index, str):
             return getattr(self, index)
diff --git a/forwardport/tests/test_simple.py b/forwardport/tests/test_simple.py
index e2188314..d04b0358 100644
--- a/forwardport/tests/test_simple.py
+++ b/forwardport/tests/test_simple.py
@@ -283,7 +283,8 @@ More info at https://github.com/odoo/odoo/wiki/Mergebot#forward-port
         [new_c] = pr_repo.make_commits(
             pr1.target.name,
             Commit('whop whop', tree={'x': '5'}),
-            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref
+            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref,
+            make=False
         )
     env.run_crons()
 
@@ -398,7 +399,8 @@ xxx
             # "b" was cloned before that branch got rolled back
             prod.commit('b').id,
             Commit('g should indeed b xxx', tree={'g': 'xxx'}),
-            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref
+            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref,
+            make=False,
         )
     env.run_crons()
     assert prod.read_tree(prod.commit(pr1.head)) == {
@@ -502,7 +504,8 @@ def test_conflict_deleted(env, config, make_repo):
             # "b" was cloned before that branch got rolled back
             prod.commit('b').id,
             Commit('f should indeed be removed', tree={'g': 'c'}, reset=True),
-            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref
+            ref='heads/%s' % pr_ref,
+            make=False,
         )
     env.run_crons()
     assert prod.read_tree(prod.commit(pr1.head)) == {
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
index 6ea08a0b..d7a429b0 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ def test_forward_port(env, repo, config):
     commits = {c['sha'] for c in repo.log('heads/master')}
     assert len(commits) == 112
 
-@pytest.skip("Needs to find a way to make set_ref fail on *second* call.")
+@pytest.mark.skip("Needs to find a way to make set_ref fail on *second* call.")
 def test_rebase_failure(env, repo, users, config):
     """ It looks like gh.rebase() can fail in the final ref-setting after
     the merging & commits creation has been performed. At this point, the