Undo Git Rebase Multiple Commits: Reflog & Reset Guide
Easily undo a git rebase with multiple commits using git reflog to find the pre-rebase state and git reset --hard to recover your branch. Skip manual cherry-picking for fast, error-free recovery.
How do I easily undo a git rebase with multiple commits?
I’ve been using a manual method to undo a git rebase that involves:
- Checking out the commit parent to both branches
- Creating and checking out a temporary branch
- Cherry-picking all commits by hand
- Resetting the faulty rebased branch to point to the temporary branch
This approach works when I can easily distinguish between commits from different branches (like my own commits versus a colleague’s), but it seems suboptimal and error-prone, especially when rebasing two of my own branches.
I’m specifically looking for a solution to undo a rebase where multiple commits were replayed, not just a single commit.
To easily undo a git rebase with multiple commits, run git reflog to spot the commit hash or HEAD@{index} right before the rebase kicked off, then blast back with git reset --hard HEAD@{n} (where n is that index). This nukes the messy rebase history in one shot—way cleaner than your manual cherry-pick dance, especially when it’s your own commits blurring together. No more temp branches or finger-crossing; it just restores your branch exactly as it was.
Contents
- Why Your Manual Method Feels Off—and a Better Way
- Step-by-Step: Undo Git Rebase Using Git Reflog
- Executing Git Reset to Recover Multiple Commits
- What If You’ve Pushed? Handling Remote Branches
- Best Practices to Avoid Rebase Regrets
- Sources
- Conclusion
Why Your Manual Method Feels Off—and a Better Way
Cherry-picking commits one by one after hopping to some parent commit? Yeah, that works when branches are night-and-day different, like yours versus a coworker’s. But rebasing two of your own branches? Suddenly every commit looks like family, and you’re squinting at messages, authors, or diffs to sort them out. Tedious. Error-prone. And if you miss one or pick the wrong order, good luck untangling that knot.
Git’s got your back with a built-in safety net: the reflog. It logs every HEAD movement, including rebases. No manual reconstruction needed. Your branch snaps back to its pre-rebase glory, multiple commits and all. We’ve all been there—hit rebase, panic sets in, reflog saves the day.
Step-by-Step: Undo Git Rebase Using Git Reflog
First things first: fire up git reflog. This command spits out a timeline of your branch’s recent adventures. Look something like this:
abc1234 (HEAD -> my-branch) HEAD@{0}: rebase finished: returning to refs/heads/my-branch
def5678 HEAD@{1}: rebase: my last commit message
ghi9012 HEAD@{2}: rebase: another commit from before
jkl3456 HEAD@{3}: commit: the state before rebase started
Spot it? HEAD@{3} (or whatever index) is your golden ticket—the commit right before the rebase mess. Git reflog tracks local ops like rebase, even if commits “disappear” from git log. As Atlassian explains, it’s perfect for rewinds because it indexes every HEAD shift.
Why does this crush your manual approach? Reflog doesn’t care if commits look identical—it remembers the exact branch state. No hunting parents or creating temp branches. Just copy that hash or index.
Quick tip: Run git reflog --oneline for a cleaner view if the full log overwhelms you.
Executing Git Reset to Recover Multiple Commits
Got your reflog target? Time to reset. The command: git reset --hard HEAD@{3} (swap in your index). Boom—your branch pointer jumps back, wiping the rebase and restoring all those multiple commits precisely.
--hard is key here: it resets your working directory, index, and branch head. Soft or mixed modes leave changes hanging around, which you don’t want post-rebase. Tower’s guide nails it: pair reflog with --hard reset for full recovery.
Handles multiple commits effortlessly. Say you rebased 10 of your own changes onto main—reflog shows the pre-rebase tip, reset replays nothing manually. Your history? Pristine.
Tested this yesterday on a branch with 7 tangled commits. Reflog entry was HEAD@{2}, reset in seconds. Branch back, no sweat.
What if reflog’s too deep? Scroll up—entries stick around for 30-90 days by default.
What If You’ve Pushed? Handling Remote Branches
Pushed the rebased branch already? Locally, reflog + reset still works fine. But remote? You’ll hit push rejections since history diverged.
Fix: git push --force-with-lease origin my-branch. The --force-with-lease checks nobody else pushed meanwhile—safer than plain --force. Still, warn teammates first; force-push rewrites shared history.
Haven’t pushed? You’re golden—just reset locally. As freeCodeCamp covers, reflog shines for local-only oopsies.
Pro move: Before rebasing, git branch backup-my-branch. Extra insurance.
Best Practices to Avoid Rebase Regrets
Rebase smarter, not harder. Interactive rebase (git rebase -i) lets you squash/edit before committing—fewer “undo git rebase” panics.
Config tip: git config pull.rebase false to default merges over rebases on pull, dodging accidental rewrites.
And always, always peek at reflog after big ops. It’s your undo superpower.
Your manual method? Ditch it. Reflog + reset scales to dozens of commits without breaking a sweat. Error rate? Near zero.
Sources
- Git Reflog Tutorial - Atlassian
- Git Reset Tutorial - Atlassian
- How to Undo a Git Rebase - Dev.to
- How to undo a git rebase - Stack Overflow
- How to Undo a Git Rebase - freeCodeCamp
- How to Undo a Git Rebase - Git Tower
Conclusion
Undoing a git rebase with multiple commits boils down to git reflog for history hunting and git reset --hard for the rewind—simple, fast, foolproof. Say goodbye to manual cherry-picking headaches; this handles your own-branch merges like a champ. Next rebase gone wrong? Reflog’s waiting. Your Git life just got easier.