diff --git a/.github/workflows/gitlab-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/gitlab-ci.yml.off
similarity index 100%
rename from .github/workflows/gitlab-ci.yml
rename to .github/workflows/gitlab-ci.yml.off
diff --git a/util/deploy.py b/util/deploy.py
index 89afa929..409f0fa6 100644
--- a/util/deploy.py
+++ b/util/deploy.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 """Deploy script run by ci. Creates a deploy branch which includes generated files."""
 import os
 import time
+import sys
 
 # Git command fragments
 CHECK_BRANCH_CMD = 'git rev-parse --verify'
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@
 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_MERGE_SQUASH_CMD = 'git merge --squash --allow-unrelated-histories'
 GIT_PUSH_CMD = 'git push'
 
 # Repo configuration
@@ -32,17 +33,23 @@
 
 # get current branch info
 current_branch = os.popen(GET_BRANCH_CMD).read().split('\n')[0]
+print(f'Current branch: {current_branch}')
 current_hash = os.popen(GET_COMMIT_ID_CMD).read().split('\n')[0]
+print(f'Current hash: {current_hash}')
 current_msg = '\n'.join(os.popen(GET_COMMIT_MSG_CMD).read().split('\n')[:-1])
+print(f'Current commit message: \n{current_msg}')
 
 # create target branch
 deploy_branch = f'__deploy__{current_branch}'
+print(f'Deploy branch: {deploy_branch}\n\n')
 last_deploy_hash = os.popen(f'{CHECK_BRANCH_CMD} {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}')
 
-# checkout current working branch
-os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_CMD} {current_branch}')
-time.sleep(0.5)
+## checkout current working branch
+#os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_CMD} {current_branch}')
+#time.sleep(0.5)
 
 # spawn or switch to deploy branch
 if last_deploy_hash == '':
@@ -51,12 +58,18 @@
 else:
     # deploy branch exists
     os.popen(f'{GIT_CHECKOUT_CMD} {deploy_branch}')
-time.sleep(0.5)
+time.sleep(2)
 
 # merge feature into deploy branch
+print('\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n')
 os.popen(f'{GIT_MERGE_SQUASH_CMD} {ORIGIN}/{current_branch}')
 time.sleep(0.5)
 
+print('\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n')
+print(os.popen('git status').read())
+
+sys.exit(0)
+
 # 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]