diff --git a/scripts/attempt-backport.js b/scripts/attempt-backport.js
index 117fbbb9..cad650fb 100644
--- a/scripts/attempt-backport.js
+++ b/scripts/attempt-backport.js
@@ -156,15 +156,10 @@ function attemptBackport (options, version, isLTS, cb) {
         debug(`error before exit, code: ${code}, on '${argsString}'`)
         return
       }
-      gitResetBefore()
+      gitRemoteUpdate()
     })
   }
 
-  function gitResetBefore () {
-    options.logger.debug(`resetting origin/v${version}.x-staging...`)
-    wrapCP('git', ['reset', `origin/v${version}.x-staging`, '--hard'], gitRemoteUpdate)
-  }
-
   function gitRemoteUpdate () {
     options.logger.debug('updating git remotes...')
     wrapCP('git', ['remote', 'update', '-p'], gitCheckout)
@@ -172,16 +167,11 @@ function attemptBackport (options, version, isLTS, cb) {
 
   function gitCheckout () {
     options.logger.debug(`checking out origin/v${version}.x-staging...`)
-    wrapCP('git', ['checkout', `origin/v${version}.x-staging`], gitClean_fd)
-  }
-
-  function gitClean_fd () {
-    wrapCP('git', ['clean', '-fd'], gitReset)
+    wrapCP('git', ['checkout', `origin/v${version}.x-staging`], gitClean_fdx)
   }
 
-  function gitReset () {
-    options.logger.debug(`resetting origin/v${version}.x-staging...`)
-    wrapCP('git', ['reset', `origin/v${version}.x-staging`, '--hard'], fetchDiff)
+  function gitClean_fdx () {
+    wrapCP('git', ['clean', '-fdx'], fetchDiff)
   }
 
   function fetchDiff () {