diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
index 2beb058de8..05161942b7 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
@@ -661,7 +661,18 @@ def _extract_source(srctree, keep_temp, devbranch, sync, config, basepath, works
         srctree_localdir = os.path.join(srctree, 'oe-local-files')
 
         if sync:
-            bb.process.run('git fetch file://' + srcsubdir + ' ' + devbranch + ':' + devbranch, cwd=srctree)
+            try:
+                logger.info('Backing up current %s branch as branch: %s.bak' % (devbranch, devbranch))
+                bb.process.run('git branch -f ' + devbranch + '.bak', cwd=srctree)
+
+                # Use git fetch to update the source with the current recipe
+                # To be able to update the currently checked out branch with
+                # possibly new history (no fast-forward) git needs to be told
+                # that's ok
+                logger.info('Syncing source files including patches to git branch: %s' % devbranch)
+                bb.process.run('git fetch --update-head-ok --force file://' + srcsubdir + ' ' + devbranch + ':' + devbranch, cwd=srctree)
+            except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
+                raise DevtoolError("Error when syncing source files to local checkout: %s" % str(e))
 
             # Move the oe-local-files directory to srctree.
             # As oe-local-files is not part of the constructed git tree,