diff --git a/update-dkms-versions b/update-dkms-versions
index dd4bd543b293..c77252cec75a 100755
--- a/update-dkms-versions
+++ b/update-dkms-versions
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ esac
 #  https://git.launchpad.net/~canonical-kernel/+git/kernel-versions/plain/README
 #
 kv_repo="$HOME/.cache/kernel-versions-bare"
-git_base="$remote_name/$sru_cycle"
 
 # Now we know where our repo is and what it called update it.
 # We maintain "persistent" remotes for main and security, but assume
@@ -100,13 +99,24 @@ cat_file()
 	(cd "$kv_repo" && git cat-file "$@") || exit 1
 }
 
+# Determine if this is merge format (main branch exists).
+present=$(cat_file -t "$remote_name/main" 2>/dev/null)
+if [ "$present" ]; then
+	git_base="$remote_name/main:$sru_cycle/"
+	git_base_devel="$remote_name/main:tip/"
+else
+	git_base="$remote_name/$sru_cycle:"
+	git_base_devel="$remote_name/master:"
+fi
+git_human="$remote_name/$sru_cycle"
+
 # Determine if we have this cycle.
 present=$(cat_file -t "$git_base" 2>/dev/null)
 if [ "$present" = "" ]; then
 	# If we don't have the cycle in the development cycle then
 	# fall back to master.
 	case "$sru_cycle" in
-	d*)	git_base="$remote_name/master" ;;
+	d*)	git_base="$git_base_devel" ;;
 	*)	echo "$sru_cycle: cycle not found in $remote_repo" 2>&1
 		exit 1
 		;;
@@ -146,7 +156,7 @@ for versions_path_tail in \
 	"$our_mainline"
 do
 	echo "II: trying $versions_path_tail ..."
-	versions_paths=$(echo $(cat_file -p "$git_base:map/dkms-versions/$versions_path_tail" 2>/dev/null))
+	versions_paths=$(echo $(cat_file -p "${git_base}map/dkms-versions/$versions_path_tail" 2>/dev/null))
 	[ -n "$versions_paths" ] && break
 done
 
@@ -161,7 +171,7 @@ echo "II: grabbing dkms-versions from $sru_cycle $versions_paths"
 : ">debian/dkms-versions.new"
 for versions_path in $versions_paths
 do
-	cat_file -p "$git_base:$versions_path" >>"debian/dkms-versions.new"
+	cat_file -p "$git_base$versions_path" >>"debian/dkms-versions.new"
 	if [ "$?" -ne 0 ]; then
 		echo "$0: unable to download an updated dkms-versions file" 1>&2
 		exit 1
@@ -171,7 +181,7 @@ mv "debian/dkms-versions.new" "debian/dkms-versions"
 
 thing="debian/dkms-versions"
 if ! git diff --exit-code -- "$thing" >/dev/null; then
-	git commit -m "UBUNTU: $thing -- update from kernel-versions ($git_base)" \
+	git commit -m "UBUNTU: $thing -- update from kernel-versions ($git_human)" \
 		-m "BugLink: https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1786013" \
 		-s -- "$thing"
 else