Git Cherry-Pick: Apply Specific Commits Without Merging

git cherry-pick allows you to apply a specific commit from one branch to another, without merging the entire branch. It's like picking a cherry 🍒 from a Git tree 🌳!

Why Cherry-Pick is Awesome

• Express hotfixes: Fix urgent issues without merging everything
• Small features: Add an isolated functionality
• Fewer conflicts: No complex merge operations
• Clean history: No unnecessary merge commits
• Surgical precision: "I want JUST THIS fix!"

Common Use Cases

1. Production Hotfix

Scenario: You've fixed a critical bug in the develop branch, but production needs the fix NOW without all the other development changes.

2. Backport Feature to Release Branch

Scenario: A client needs a specific feature from develop in the current release, but the full branch isn't ready.

3. Revert Wrong Merge

Scenario: After merging a feature branch, you realize only some commits should have been included.

4. Recover Lost Commits

Scenario: A branch was accidentally deleted or reset, but you need specific commits from it.

Essential Commands

Basic Cherry-Pick Workflow

# 1. Fetch latest changes
git fetch origin

# 2. View the commit you want to pick
git show abc123d

# 3. Switch to target branch
git checkout main

# 4. Apply the commit
git cherry-pick abc123d

# 5. Push the changes
git push origin main

Advanced Options

Handling Conflicts

Conflicts can occur when the target branch has diverged from the source. Here's how to resolve them:

Conflict Resolution Workflow

# 1. Cherry-pick encounters conflict
git cherry-pick abc123d
# CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in src/app.js

# 2. Check status to see conflicted files
git status

# 3. Open and resolve conflicts manually
# Look for <<<<<<< HEAD markers in files

# 4. After resolving, stage the files
git add src/app.js

# 5. Continue cherry-pick
git cherry-pick --continue

# Alternative: Abort if you change your mind
git cherry-pick --abort

Conflict Markers Explained

<<<<<<< HEAD (Current branch)
const API_URL = 'https://production.api.com';
=======
const API_URL = 'https://staging.api.com';
>>>>>>> abc123d (Cherry-picked commit)

Choose one, combine, or write new code, then remove markers.

Complete Example: Production Hotfix

Situation: A critical security bug was fixed in develop, but main needs the fix without the new features.

# 1. Find the security fix commit in develop
git checkout develop
git log --oneline --grep="security fix"
# Found: a1b2c3d Fix XSS vulnerability in user input

# 2. View the commit to verify it's the right one
git show a1b2c3d

# 3. Switch to main branch
git checkout main

# 4. Make sure main is up to date
git pull origin main

# 5. Cherry-pick the security fix
git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

# 6. Run tests to ensure nothing broke
npm test

# 7. Push to production
git push origin main

# 8. Tag the security fix for tracking
git tag -a security-fix-v1.2.1 -m "Security: Fixed XSS vulnerability"
git push origin security-fix-v1.2.1

Cherry-Picking Multiple Commits

Method 1: Range Selection

# Pick all commits from abc123d to def456g (exclusive of abc123d)
git cherry-pick abc123d..def456g

# Pick all commits including abc123d (inclusive)
git cherry-pick abc123d^..def456g

Method 2: Multiple Individual Commits

# Pick specific commits (in order)
git cherry-pick a1b2c3d e4f5g6h i7j8k9l

# Pick with custom messages
git cherry-pick -x a1b2c3d e4f5g6h i7j8k9l

Best Practices

DO ✅

• Always verify the commit first: Use git show before cherry-picking
• Use -x flag for traceability: Adds reference to original commit
• Test after cherry-picking: Run your test suite to catch issues
• Cherry-pick small commits: Easier to manage and less prone to conflicts
• Document why you cherry-picked: Add context in commit message
• Keep branches in sync: Eventually merge to avoid divergence

DON'T ❌

• Don't cherry-pick large features: Use merge instead
• Don't cherry-pick merge commits: Can cause duplicate history
• Don't overuse cherry-pick: Consider if merge or rebase is better
• Don't cherry-pick without understanding: Know what the commit changes
• Don't ignore conflicts: Resolve carefully, don't rush
• Don't cherry-pick public commits repeatedly: Creates duplicate history

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall 1: Duplicate Commits

Pitfall 2: Dependencies Between Commits

Pitfall 3: Wrong Commit Selected

Cherry-Pick vs Merge vs Rebase

Useful Tips and Tricks

Find Commits to Cherry-Pick

# Search by message
git log --all --oneline --grep="bug fix"

# Find commits by author
git log --author="John Doe" --oneline

# View commits in another branch not in current
git log main..develop --oneline

# Interactive commit browser
git log --all --decorate --oneline --graph

Identify Cherry-Picked Commits

# Mark cherry-picked commits in log
git log --cherry-mark --oneline main...develop

# Find exact duplicate commits
git log --left-right --cherry-pick main...develop

Additional Resources

• Official Git Cherry-Pick Documentation
• DevOps Expertise: our DevOps services
• All our publications: tech guides and news

Article published on 2025-12-06. Complete guide to git cherry-pick with practical examples and best practices.