GitHub · Pull requests · Stacked pull requests · Checked October 26, 2026

GitHub: a pull request in a stack does not merge

A stack is a series of pull requests in the same repository where each pull request targets the branch of the pull request below it, forming a chain that lands on a single branch, the stack's base (its trunk). Before a pull request in a stack can merge, it must meet every branch protection requirement for the stack's base, all pull requests below it must meet those requirements too, and the stack must have a fully linear history between its branches (GitHub's stacked pull requests, checked October 26, 2026).

main ← PR #1 ← PR #2 ← PR #3
merging PR #3: #1 and #2 also need their reviews and checks, and land with it

What the merge needs

The rules of the stack's base: required reviews, required status checks, code owners and code scanning workflows are evaluated as if each pull request targets the stack's base, not the branch directly below it. A mid-stack pull request is held to the same standard as the bottom one, and workflows run for every pull request in the stack (see checks on every pull request in a stack).
The pull requests below it: merging PR #3 in the stack above requires PR #1 and PR #2 to also pass checks, have required reviews and satisfy all branch protection rules. A mid-stack pull request cannot merge in isolation: the pull requests below it always merge with it.
A linear history: a stack loses it when changes are pushed to a lower branch, or when the trunk moves ahead. The merge box then shows Rebase stack, and the stack must be rebased before it can merge.
One repository: all branches of a stack must be in the same repository; stacks across forks are not supported.

What does not work for a stack

Auto-merge: auto-merge is not supported for stacked pull requests (GitHub's merging stacked pull requests).
The REST merge endpoint: "Merge a pull request" (PUT /repos/OWNER/REPO/pulls/NUMBER/merge) does not support stacked pull requests or merging with a merge queue. "Merge a pull request asynchronously" is the required API for merging stacked pull requests, and for a pull request in a stack it includes all open pull requests below it (GitHub's REST API endpoints for pull requests).
Bypassing the rules: only the bottom pull request can be merged with bypass rules; the whole stack cannot.

What to do

Rebase the stack: click Rebase stack in the merge box for a cascading rebase on GitHub's side, or run gh stack rebase and then gh stack push. Rebasing generates signed commits, and keeps approvals when a pull request's diff does not change, even with the rule that dismisses stale approvals enabled.
Merge from the bottom up: go to the lowest unmerged pull request, or to a higher one to merge a contiguous group up to it. It lands together with all unmerged pull requests below it as a single operation, and the next unmerged pull request is then rebased to target the stack's base directly.
Through the REST API: PUT /repos/OWNER/REPO/pulls/NUMBER/merge-async, with merge_action direct_merge or merge_queue, answers 202 with a UUID; GET …/merge-async/UUID then gives the result: pending, merged, enqueued (added to a merge queue, not merged yet) or failed, with a message. At the request only basic checks run (a closed pull request or a draft gets 400); branch protection rules and repository rules are not run at that stage. A result is kept for 24 hours after its last update.
With a merge queue: all pull requests of the stack are added to the queue in order, and when one is removed from the queue, all pull requests above it are removed too. To keep a stack together, a merge group may exceed its maximum size by up to 50 percent.
Find the rules: anyone with read access to a repository can view its active rulesets (GitHub's about rulesets); look at the ones on the stack's base, not on the branch the pull request targets directly.

GitHub pull requests in IntelliJ IDEA

Pull Request Inbox for GitHub, a plugin by Lesstep for JetBrains IDEs 2024.1 or later, shows a pull request's reviews, checks and conversations next to the diff, and merges it with the methods the target branch allows. For a pull request in a stack, Merge goes through GitHub's asynchronous merge and lands it together with the open pull requests below it, onto the stack's base, or adds them to that branch's merge queue; its merge checks say that it is part of a stack and read the rules of the stack's base, and auto-merge is not offered for it. The review inbox, diffs and conversations are free; approving, commenting, resolving and merging are Pro (US$1.50 a month, with a 30-day trial).

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