merge queue failed to merge: branch is out of date with the base branch

TL;DR

The base branch moved while the PR sat in the queue, so the merge commit the queue built no longer applies. Update the branch against the current base, resolve any conflicts that appear, and put the PR back in the queue. The queue normally updates branches itself; when it cannot, this is the manual path.

The error

merge queue failed to merge: branch is out of date with the base branch

Steps

1. Fetch the latest base

git fetch origin

Expected output: the local view of the base branch is current.

2. Update the PR branch

Rebase onto the new base (or merge it in, following the repo's convention):

git rebase origin/main

Expected output: the branch replays cleanly, or git stops on conflicts.

3. Resolve any conflicts

For each conflicted file, resolve the markers, then continue:

git add path/to/resolved-file
git rebase --continue

Expected output: the rebase completes with no remaining conflicts.

4. Push the updated branch

git push --force-with-lease

Expected output: the PR branch now contains the latest base.

5. Wait for CI, then re-queue

The update retriggers checks. Once they are green, add the PR to the merge queue again. Expected output: the queue accepts the PR and merges it this time.

When to use

• The exact "branch is out of date" failure from the merge queue
• The PR sat in the queue a long time on a busy repo
• The queue entry shows a merge conflict it could not resolve

When not to use

• Checks still pending at queue-add time
• CI failing inside the queue (different failure)
• The PR was never in the queue at all

Tool compatibility

• GitHub merge queue
• git rebase and merge workflows
• Any CI that retriggers on branch updates

Variant phrasings

merge queue dropped my PR branch out of date

Same fix. Update, let CI go green, re-queue.

PR kicked out of merge queue after base moved

The queue is strict about the base it built against. A fresh update is the only fix.

update branch for merge queue

Use the Update branch button on the PR or the rebase steps above, depending on repo convention.

Why it happens

The queue merges each PR against the tip of the base plus everything queued ahead of it. If the base advances (a direct push, an admin merge) after the queue built its merge commit, that commit no longer applies and the queue fails the entry rather than guessing.

Edge cases

• Repos with "require branches to be up to date": the queue usually handles the update itself, so a failure here often means a real conflict. Look for it.
• Long-lived PRs on fast-moving bases: expect to update more than once. Smaller PRs queue faster.
• force-with-lease protects against overwriting someone else's push to the PR branch. Never plain-force shared branches.
• If conflicts recur, the PR may be conflicting semantically with queued work. Coordinate with the other author.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst2VeXyU8r3uugJC73-2jVw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst2VeXyU8r3uugJC73-2jVw

Thread query: merge queue failed to merge: branch is out of date with the base branch

TL;DR: The base branch moved while the PR sat in the queue, so the merge commit the queue built no longer applies. Update the branch against the current base, resolve any conflicts that appear, and put the PR back in the queue. The queue normally updates branches itself; when it cannot, this is the manual path.