diff --git a/manifest_xml.py b/manifest_xml.py
index eb4908d..c5e2e34 100644
--- a/manifest_xml.py
+++ b/manifest_xml.py
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@
   def ToRemoteSpec(self, projectName):
     url = self.resolvedFetchUrl.rstrip('/') + '/' + projectName
     remoteName = self.name
+    if self.remoteAlias:
+        remoteName = self.remoteAlias
     return RemoteSpec(remoteName, url, self.reviewUrl)
 
 class XmlManifest(object):
@@ -151,6 +153,8 @@
     root.appendChild(e)
     e.setAttribute('name', r.name)
     e.setAttribute('fetch', r.fetchUrl)
+    if r.remoteAlias is not None:
+      e.setAttribute('alias', r.remoteAlias)
     if r.reviewUrl is not None:
       e.setAttribute('review', r.reviewUrl)
 
@@ -229,7 +233,8 @@
       e.setAttribute('name', name)
       if relpath != name:
         e.setAttribute('path', relpath)
-      if not d.remote or p.remote.name != d.remote.name:
+      remoteName = d.remote.remoteAlias or d.remote.name
+      if not d.remote or p.remote.name != remoteName:
         e.setAttribute('remote', p.remote.name)
       if peg_rev:
         if self.IsMirror:
diff --git a/repo b/repo
index eeb8920..62e6ea5 100755
--- a/repo
+++ b/repo
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@
     repo_main = my_main
 
   ver_str = '.'.join(map(str, VERSION))
-  me = [repo_main,
+  me = [sys.executable, repo_main,
         '--repo-dir=%s' % rel_repo_dir,
         '--wrapper-version=%s' % ver_str,
         '--wrapper-path=%s' % wrapper_path,
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@
   me.extend(orig_args)
   me.extend(extra_args)
   try:
-    os.execv(repo_main, me)
+    os.execv(sys.executable, me)
   except OSError as e:
     _print("fatal: unable to start %s" % repo_main, file=sys.stderr)
     _print("fatal: %s" % e, file=sys.stderr)
diff --git a/subcmds/upload.py b/subcmds/upload.py
index f5833dd..8d801e0 100644
--- a/subcmds/upload.py
+++ b/subcmds/upload.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from command import InteractiveCommand
 from editor import Editor
 from error import HookError, UploadError
+from git_command import GitCommand
 from project import RepoHook
 
 from pyversion import is_python3
@@ -344,7 +345,20 @@
           key = 'review.%s.uploadtopic' % branch.project.remote.review
           opt.auto_topic = branch.project.config.GetBoolean(key)
 
-        destination = opt.dest_branch or branch.project.dest_branch or branch.project.revisionExpr
+        destination = opt.dest_branch or branch.project.dest_branch
+
+        # Make sure our local branch is not setup to track a different remote branch
+        merge_branch = self._GetMergeBranch(branch.project)
+        full_dest = 'refs/heads/%s' % destination
+        if not opt.dest_branch and merge_branch and merge_branch != full_dest:
+            print('merge branch %s does not match destination branch %s'
+                  % (merge_branch, full_dest))
+            print('skipping upload.')
+            print('Please use `--destination %s` if this is intentional'
+                  % destination)
+            branch.uploaded = False
+            continue
+
         branch.UploadForReview(people, auto_topic=opt.auto_topic, draft=opt.draft, dest_branch=destination)
         branch.uploaded = True
       except UploadError as e:
@@ -379,6 +393,21 @@
     if have_errors:
       sys.exit(1)
 
+  def _GetMergeBranch(self, project):
+    p = GitCommand(project,
+                   ['rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'HEAD'],
+                   capture_stdout = True,
+                   capture_stderr = True)
+    p.Wait()
+    local_branch = p.stdout.strip()
+    p = GitCommand(project,
+                   ['config', '--get', 'branch.%s.merge' % local_branch],
+                   capture_stdout = True,
+                   capture_stderr = True)
+    p.Wait()
+    merge_branch = p.stdout.strip()
+    return merge_branch
+
   def Execute(self, opt, args):
     project_list = self.GetProjects(args)
     pending = []