diff --git a/tools/fork-cli/INTERNAL_CONTRIB.md b/tools/fork-cli/INTERNAL_CONTRIB.md
index 4e2f267240dea..ab849f14bc032 100644
--- a/tools/fork-cli/INTERNAL_CONTRIB.md
+++ b/tools/fork-cli/INTERNAL_CONTRIB.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Our fork maintains several important branches:
    # If you have changes:
    git stash push -m "WIP before sync"
    # or
-   git add . && git commit -m "WIP: save local changes"
+   git add . && git commit -m "chore(WIP): save local changes"
    ```
 
 2. **Sync our fork with upstream**:
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ Our fork maintains several important branches:
 
 3. **Make changes and create PRs**:
    - Make changes, commit, and push your feature branch
+      - Skim through argocd [contribution guide](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/latest/developer-guide/code-contributions/)
+      - run `make pre-commit-local` to run pre commit checks (it's slow)
+      - make sure **all** commit messages follow the pattern `^(feat|fix|docs|test|ci|chore)!?(\\(.*\\))?!?:.*`
    - Create PRs against the development branch (not upstream!)
    - Use the `gh` CLI for convenience:
      ```shell
diff --git a/tools/fork-cli/main.go b/tools/fork-cli/main.go
index 9a2ed9df39f55..8d1d54c3a071b 100644
--- a/tools/fork-cli/main.go
+++ b/tools/fork-cli/main.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func promoteFixCmd(args []string, runner CommandRunner) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	baseRelease := parts[2] // e.g. v2.9.14
+	baseRelease := strings.Join(parts[:3], "/") // e.g. skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.9.14
 
 	// 3) Compute merge-base & commit-range
 	gb := strings.TrimSpace(runner.RunAndCaptureOrExit("git", "merge-base", *fixBranch, baseRelease))
@@ -514,8 +514,8 @@ func workOnCmd(args []string, runner CommandRunner) int {
 	runner.RunOrExit("git", "push", "-u", "origin", featureBranch)
 
 	// Create PR automatically
-	title := fmt.Sprintf("feat: %s", *suffix)
-	body := fmt.Sprintf("Automated PR created via fork-cli\n\nUpdates VERSION to %s", newVersion)
+	title := "feat: " + *suffix
+	body := "Automated PR created via fork-cli\n\nUpdates VERSION to " + newVersion
 	runner.RunOrExit("gh", "pr", "create", "--base", *devBranch, "--title", title, "--body", body)
 
 	fmt.Println("✅ PR created successfully!")
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ func workOnCmd(args []string, runner CommandRunner) int {
 }
 
 func printConflictMessage(w io.Writer, releaseTag, fixBranch, proposal string) {
-	cmd := fmt.Sprintf("go run tools/fork-cli/main.go promote-fix --fix-branch=\"%s\" --proposal-branch=\"%s\"",
+	cmd := fmt.Sprintf("go run tools/fork-cli/main.go promote-fix --fix-branch=%q --proposal-branch=%q",
 		fixBranch, proposal)
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "\n❌ Conflict detected during promotion of release %s.\n", releaseTag)
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "Please re-run this command locally to resolve interactively:")
diff --git a/tools/fork-cli/main_test.go b/tools/fork-cli/main_test.go
index 8eac0c8c8430d..71bdc381d76d1 100644
--- a/tools/fork-cli/main_test.go
+++ b/tools/fork-cli/main_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@ type MockRunner struct {
 	exitCalls             []string
 	branchesExist         map[string]bool
 	tagsExist             map[string]bool
-	output                *bytes.Buffer
 	cmdIndex              int
 	hasUncommittedChanges bool
 	branchUpToDate        map[string]bool
@@ -39,7 +37,6 @@ func NewMockRunner(t *testing.T) *MockRunner {
 		expectedCmds:   []expectedCmd{},
 		branchesExist:  make(map[string]bool),
 		tagsExist:      make(map[string]bool),
-		output:         &bytes.Buffer{},
 		branchUpToDate: make(map[string]bool),
 	}
 }
@@ -154,7 +151,7 @@ func (m *MockRunner) HasUncommittedChanges() bool {
 func (m *MockRunner) IsBranchUpToDate(localBranch, remoteBranch string) bool {
 	upToDate, ok := m.branchUpToDate[localBranch]
 	if !ok {
-		m.t.Logf("Branch up-to-date check not mocked for: %s", localBranch)
+		m.t.Logf("Branch up-to-date check not mocked for local branch %s and remote branch %s", localBranch, remoteBranch)
 		return false
 	}
 	return upToDate
@@ -269,8 +266,9 @@ func TestPromoteFixCmd(t *testing.T) {
 		proposalFull := "skyscanner-contrib/proposal/" + proposalBranch
 
 		mock.SetBranchUpToDate("skyscanner-contrib/master", true)
+
+		// Expected command sequence:
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", "skyscanner-contrib/master:skyscanner-contrib/master")
-		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", fixBranch+":"+fixBranch)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "merge-base", fixBranch, "skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.14.9").WithOutput("abcdef123456")
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", "skyscanner-contrib/master")
 		mock.SetBranchExists(proposalFull, false)
@@ -290,7 +288,6 @@ func TestPromoteFixCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 		mock.SetBranchUpToDate("skyscanner-contrib/master", false)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", "skyscanner-contrib/master:skyscanner-contrib/master")
-		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", fixBranch+":"+fixBranch)
 
 		args := []string{"--fix-branch=" + fixBranch, "--proposal-branch=" + proposalBranch}
 		exitCode := promoteFixCmd(args, mock)
@@ -306,10 +303,8 @@ func TestPromoteFixCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 		mock.SetBranchUpToDate("skyscanner-contrib/master", true)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", "skyscanner-contrib/master:skyscanner-contrib/master")
-		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", fixBranch+":"+fixBranch)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "merge-base", fixBranch, "skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.14.9").WithOutput("abcdef123456")
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", "skyscanner-contrib/master")
-		mock.SetBranchExists(proposalFull, false)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", "-b", proposalFull)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "cherry-pick", "--keep-redundant-commits", "abcdef123456.."+fixBranch).WithError(errors.New("conflict"))
 
@@ -337,8 +332,8 @@ func TestSyncForkCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Set test environment
 		oldToken := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
-		os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "test-token")
-		defer os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", oldToken)
+		t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "test-token")
+		defer t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", oldToken)
 
 		// Run the command
 		exitCode := syncForkCmd([]string{}, mock)
@@ -453,10 +448,17 @@ func TestWorkOnCmd(t *testing.T) {
 		mock := NewMockRunner(t)
 		devBranch := "skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.14.9/fix-issue-123"
 		suffix := "add-logging"
+		featureBranch := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", devBranch, suffix)
 
-		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "fetch", "origin", devBranch+":"+devBranch)
 		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", devBranch)
-		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", "-b", "feature/add-logging")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "checkout", "-b", featureBranch)
+		mock.ExpectCommand("cat", "VERSION").WithOutput("v2.14.9")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("sh", "-c", "echo 'v2.14.9-add-logging' > VERSION")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "add", "VERSION")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "commit", "-m", "feat: add-logging\n\nUpdate VERSION to v2.14.9-add-logging")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("gh", "repo", "set-default", "Skyscanner/argo-cd")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("git", "push", "-u", "origin", "skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.14.9/fix-issue-123-add-logging")
+		mock.ExpectCommand("gh", "pr", "create", "--base", "skyscanner-internal/develop/v2.14.9/fix-issue-123", "--title", "feat: add-logging", "--body", "Automated PR created via fork-cli\n\nUpdates VERSION to v2.14.9-add-logging")
 
 		exitCode := workOnCmd([]string{"--dev-branch=" + devBranch, "--suffix=" + suffix}, mock)
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, exitCode)