diff --git a/tools/apertis-pkg-merge-local b/tools/apertis-pkg-merge-local
index ef3ac1d1630e29b29d9c6dcf986b1762954a52dd..10916b4abf171fff6dd6bf1f87c636ed08c8d10f 100755
--- a/tools/apertis-pkg-merge-local
+++ b/tools/apertis-pkg-merge-local
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ commit-whitelist() {
 }
 
 release() {
-    dch --force-distribution --distribution apertis --local +apertis --upstream Rebase on top of $UPSTREAM_BRANCH
     git add debian/changelog
     git diff --cached
     DIR=`pwd`
@@ -93,6 +92,16 @@ release() {
     git commit -sm "Release $PACKAGE version $VERSION"
 }
 
+release-down() {
+    GBP_CONF_FILES=/dev/null gbp dch --release --force-distribution -D apertis --local +apertis --ignore-branch --dch-opt=--upstream --full
+    release
+}
+
+release-up() {
+    dch --force-distribution --distribution apertis --local +apertis --upstream Merge changes from $UPSTREAM_BRANCH
+    release
+}
+
 COMMAND=$1
 shift
 EXTRA_ARGS=$@
@@ -113,11 +122,14 @@ scan)
 commit-whitelist)
     commit-whitelist
     ;;
-release)
-    release
+release-down)
+    release-down
+    ;;
+release-up)
+    release-up
     ;;
 *)
     echo Unknown command
-    echo Usage `basename $0` '[merge|diff|diff_old|scan|commit-whitelist|release]'
+    echo Usage `basename $0` '[merge|diff|diff_old|scan|commit-whitelist|release-down|release-up]'
     ;;
 esac