diff --git a/util/deploy.py b/util/deploy.py
index dbd76c79..d004f401 100644
--- a/util/deploy.py
+++ b/util/deploy.py
@@ -11,21 +11,17 @@
 import time
 
 # Git command fragments
-CHECK_BRANCH_CMD = 'git rev-parse --verify'
 GET_BRANCH_CMD = '''git for-each-ref --format='%(objectname) %(refname:short)' refs/heads |\
                     awk "/^$(git rev-parse HEAD)/ {print \\$2}"'''
 GET_COMMIT_ID_CMD = 'git rev-parse HEAD'
 GET_COMMIT_MSG_CMD = 'git log -1 --pretty=%B'
 GIT_ADD_ALL_CMD = 'git add .'
-GIT_CHECKOUT_CMD = 'git checkout'
 GIT_CHECKOUT_TAG_CMD = 'git checkout -b'
 GIT_COMMIT_CMD = 'git commit -m'
-GIT_MERGE_SQUASH_CMD = 'git merge --squash'
 GIT_PUSH_CMD = 'git push'
 
 # Repo configuration
 ORIGIN = 'origin'
-ROOT_MAIN_TAG = 'v0.6.0-beta'
 
 # Comment added to gitignore
 GITIGNORE_COMMENT = '# Deactivated by deploy.py'
@@ -39,26 +35,15 @@
 print(f'Current commit message: \n{current_msg}')
 
 # create target branch
-deploy_branch = f'__deploy__{current_branch}'
+deploy_branch = f'__deploy__{current_hash[0:7]}__{current_branch}'
 print(f'Deploy branch: {deploy_branch}\n\n')
-last_deploy_hash = os.popen(f'{CHECK_BRANCH_CMD} {ORIGIN}/{deploy_branch}').read()
-print(f'Last deploy hash: {last_deploy_hash} (empty if on deploy branch present)')
 deploy_msg = f'{current_msg}\n-----\n\nDeployed from {current_hash}'
 print(f'Deploy commit message:\n{deploy_msg}')
 
-# spawn or switch to deploy branch
-if last_deploy_hash == '':
-    # create new deploy branch
-    os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_TAG_CMD} {deploy_branch} {ROOT_MAIN_TAG}')
-else:
-    # deploy branch exists
-    os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_CMD} {deploy_branch}')
+# create new deploy branch
+os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_TAG_CMD} {deploy_branch} {current_branch}')
 time.sleep(2)
 
-# merge feature into deploy branch
-os.popen(f'{GIT_MERGE_SQUASH_CMD} {ORIGIN}/{current_branch}')
-time.sleep(0.5)
-
 # selectively deactivate gitignore to check in generated files
 with open('target/rtl/.gitignore', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
     content = f.read().split('\n')[:-1]