diff --git a/.github/workflows/qcom-promote-upstream-reusable-workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/qcom-promote-upstream-reusable-workflow.yml
index d607166..97405ec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/qcom-promote-upstream-reusable-workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/qcom-promote-upstream-reusable-workflow.yml
@@ -216,12 +216,12 @@ jobs:
           export DEBEMAIL="${{vars.DEB_PKG_BOT_CI_EMAIL}}"
 
           # use ignore branch because we are not on default debian branch
-          gbp dch \
-            --ignore-branch \
+          dch \
             --distribution=UNRELEASED \
-            --new-version=${{env.NORMALIZED_VERSION}}-1
+            --newversion=${{env.NORMALIZED_VERSION}}-1 \
+            'New upstream release'
 
-          git commit -a -s -m "Update changelog for ${{env.NORMALIZED_VERSION}}-1 release"
+          git commit -a -s -m "Update changelog version to ${{env.NORMALIZED_VERSION}}-1 and UNRELEASED suite"
 
       - name: Push Upstream/latest and debian PR Branch
         run: |
diff --git a/scripts/merge_debian_packaging_upstream b/scripts/merge_debian_packaging_upstream
index d9c9327..cda2734 100755
--- a/scripts/merge_debian_packaging_upstream
+++ b/scripts/merge_debian_packaging_upstream
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ set -e
 upstream="$1"
 
 if ! debian_ref="$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)"; then
-    echo "Function requires the Debian packaging branche to be checked out" >&2
+    echo "Function requires the Debian packaging branch to be checked out" >&2
     echo "Are you in a detached HEAD state?" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
@@ -40,15 +40,22 @@ git checkout "$upstream"
 git reset "$debian_ref" -- :/:debian :/:.github
 tree=$(git write-tree)
 
-merge_commit_header="Merge upstream tag '$upstream' into Debian packaging branch '$debian_branch'"
+merge_commit_header="Merge '$upstream' into Debian packaging branch '$debian_branch'"
 
 merge_commit_body=$(cat <<EOF
-This commit pulls in upstream changes from tag '$upstream' into the Debian packaging branch.
+This commit pulls in upstream changes from '$upstream' into the
+Debian packaging branch.
 
-Since upstream project might have content of their own in their .github/ folder (because they have CI stuff on their side),
-it's important to NOT pick up .github/ folder from upstream, and only leave the .github/ folder from debian packaging branch.
+Since upstream project might have content of their own in their .github/
+folder (because they have CI stuff on their side), it's important to NOT
+pick up .github/ folder from upstream, and only leave the .github/
+folder from debian packaging branch.
 
-The same applies to debian/ folder if upstream has one (which is rare but possible).
+The same applies to debian/ folder if upstream has one (which is rare
+but possible).
+
+This commit was generated automatically by
+qcom-build-utils/scripts/merge_debian_packaging_upstream.
 EOF
 )