diff --git a/.ci/lib/apkbuild_linting.py b/.ci/lib/apkbuild_linting.py
index cfe0425ef..5f77d5dbe 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/apkbuild_linting.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/apkbuild_linting.py
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     custom_valid_options += kconfigcheck_categories
     os.environ["CUSTOM_VALID_OPTIONS"] = " ".join(custom_valid_options)
 
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     apkbuilds = {file for file in common.get_changed_files(removed=False)
                  if os.path.basename(file) == "APKBUILD"}
     if len(apkbuilds) < 1:
diff --git a/.ci/lib/build_changed_aports.py b/.ci/lib/build_changed_aports.py
index c88195c51..6f54444b2 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/build_changed_aports.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/build_changed_aports.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     arch = sys.argv[1]
 
     # Get and print modified packages
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     packages = common.get_changed_packages()
 
     # Load context
diff --git a/.ci/lib/check_changed_aports_versions.py b/.ci/lib/check_changed_aports_versions.py
index 41788ac3e..b0eb3793c 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/check_changed_aports_versions.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/check_changed_aports_versions.py
@@ -216,7 +216,6 @@ Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     # Get and print modified packages
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     packages = common.get_changed_packages()
     if len(packages) == 0:
         print("no aports changed in this branch")
diff --git a/.ci/lib/check_changed_kernels.py b/.ci/lib/check_changed_kernels.py
index 27cdd93b1..88a46cc08 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/check_changed_kernels.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/check_changed_kernels.py
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ def show_error_all():
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
-
     if "kconfigcheck.toml" in common.get_changed_files():
         print("kconfigcheck.toml changed -> checking all kernels")
         if not check_kconfig_all():
diff --git a/.ci/lib/common.py b/.ci/lib/common.py
index 0f008de5c..83a4fa304 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/common.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/common.py
@@ -32,13 +32,6 @@ def run_git(parameters, check=True, stderr=None):
         return None
 
 
-def add_upstream_git_remote():
-    """ Add a remote pointing to postmarketOS/pmaports. """
-    run_git(["remote", "add", "upstream",
-             "https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/pmaports.git"], False)
-    run_git(["fetch", "-q", "upstream"])
-
-
 def commit_message_has_string(needle):
     base_commit = get_base_commit()
 
@@ -102,6 +95,11 @@ def get_base_commit() -> str:
     if commit is not None:
         return commit
 
+    # Add a remote pointing to postmarketOS/pmaports
+    run_git(["remote", "add", "upstream",
+             "https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/pmaports.git"], False)
+    run_git(["fetch", "-q", "upstream"])
+
     branch_upstream = f"upstream/{get_upstream_branch()}"
     commit_head = run_git(["rev-parse", "HEAD"])[:-1]
     commit_upstream = run_git(["rev-parse", branch_upstream])[:-1]
diff --git a/.ci/lib/deviceinfo_linting.py b/.ci/lib/deviceinfo_linting.py
index af78acccd..4c579e88b 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/deviceinfo_linting.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/deviceinfo_linting.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     deviceinfo_files = {file for file in common.get_changed_files(removed=False)
                         if os.path.basename(file) == "deviceinfo"}
 
diff --git a/.ci/lib/generate_build_jobs.py b/.ci/lib/generate_build_jobs.py
index f5af6c0d7..e609e7f53 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/generate_build_jobs.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/generate_build_jobs.py
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     devices_under_test = set()
     packages_modified = set()
     # Get and print modified packages
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     for file in common.get_changed_files():
         path = Path(file)
 
diff --git a/.ci/lib/verify_checksums.py b/.ci/lib/verify_checksums.py
index 72ae12b49..26c5c6b74 100755
--- a/.ci/lib/verify_checksums.py
+++ b/.ci/lib/verify_checksums.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ def verify_checksums(packages):
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     # Get and print modified packages
-    common.add_upstream_git_remote()
     packages = common.get_changed_packages()
 
     # Load context