From ed5be1765f847c36626f4965841dcbfa9ab2ee13 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2025 13:00:17 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 01/14] INFRA-3187: Automate Merging Release Branch workflow

Signed-off-by: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
---
 .../merge-previous-releases/action.yml        |  50 ++++
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js    | 252 ++++++++++++++++++
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh    | 224 ++++++++++++++++
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml |  36 +++
 4 files changed, 562 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 .github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
 create mode 100644 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js
 create mode 100644 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
 create mode 100644 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..badda71b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Merge Previous Releases
+description: 'An action to merge previous release branches into a newly created release branch.'
+
+inputs:
+  new-release-branch:
+    required: true
+    description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
+  github-token:
+    description: 'GitHub token used for authentication.'
+    required: true
+  github-tools-repository:
+    description: 'The GitHub repository containing the GitHub tools. Defaults to the GitHub tools action repository, and usually does not need to be changed.'
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.action_repository }}
+  github-tools-ref:
+    description: 'The SHA of the action to use. Defaults to the current action ref, and usually does not need to be changed.'
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.action_ref }}
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      with:
+        repository: ${{ inputs.github-tools-repository }}
+        ref: ${{ inputs.github-tools-ref }}
+        path: ./github-tools
+
+    - name: Set Git user and email
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+        git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+    - name: Run merge previous releases script
+      id: merge-releases
+      env:
+        NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        # Ensure github-tools is in .gitignore to prevent it from being committed
+        if ! grep -q "^github-tools/" .gitignore 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "github-tools/" >> .gitignore
+          echo "Added github-tools/ to .gitignore"
+        fi
+
+        # Execute the script from github-tools
+        bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ccbdec46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+/**
+ * Merge Previous Release Branches Script
+ *
+ * This script is triggered when a new release branch is created (e.g., release/2.1.2).
+ * It finds all previous release branches and merges them into the new release branch.
+ *
+ * Key behaviors:
+ * - Merges ALL older release branches into the new one
+ * - For merge conflicts, favors the destination branch (new release)
+ * - Both branches remain open after merge
+ * - Fails fast on errors to prevent pushing partial merges
+ *
+ * Environment variables:
+ * - NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)
+ */
+
+const { promisify } = require('util');
+const exec = promisify(require('child_process').exec);
+
+/**
+ * Parse a release branch name to extract version components
+ * @param {string} branchName - Branch name like "release/2.1.2"
+ * @returns {object|null} - { major, minor, patch } or null if not a valid release branch
+ */
+function parseReleaseVersion(branchName) {
+  // Match release/X.Y.Z format (does not match release candidates like release/2.1.2-rc.1)
+  const match = branchName.match(/^release\/(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$/);
+  if (!match) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return {
+    major: parseInt(match[1], 10),
+    minor: parseInt(match[2], 10),
+    patch: parseInt(match[3], 10),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Compare two version objects
+ * @returns {number} - negative if a < b, positive if a > b, 0 if equal
+ */
+function compareVersions(a, b) {
+  if (a.major !== b.major) return a.major - b.major;
+  if (a.minor !== b.minor) return a.minor - b.minor;
+  return a.patch - b.patch;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Execute a git command and log it
+ */
+async function gitExec(command, options = {}) {
+  const { ignoreError = false } = options;
+  console.log(`Executing: git ${command}`);
+  try {
+    const { stdout, stderr } = await exec(`git ${command}`);
+    if (stdout.trim()) console.log(stdout.trim());
+    if (stderr.trim()) console.log(stderr.trim());
+    return { stdout, stderr, success: true };
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (ignoreError) {
+      console.warn(`Warning: ${error.message}`);
+      return { stdout: error.stdout, stderr: error.stderr, success: false, error };
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get all remote release branches
+ */
+async function getReleaseBranches() {
+  await gitExec('fetch origin');
+  const { stdout } = await exec('git branch -r --list "origin/release/*"');
+  return stdout
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((branch) => branch.trim().replace('origin/', ''))
+    .filter((branch) => branch && parseReleaseVersion(branch));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if a branch has already been merged into the current branch. If yes, skip the merge.
+ * @param {string} sourceBranch - The branch to check if it has already been merged into the current branch
+ * @returns {Promise<boolean>} - True if the branch has already been merged into the current branch, false otherwise
+ */
+async function isBranchMerged(sourceBranch) {
+  try {
+    // Check if the source branch's HEAD is an ancestor of current HEAD
+    const { stdout } = await exec(
+      `git merge-base --is-ancestor origin/${sourceBranch} HEAD && echo "merged" || echo "not-merged"`,
+    );
+    return stdout.trim() === 'merged';
+  } catch {
+    // If the command fails, assume not merged
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Merge a source branch into the current branch, favoring current branch on conflicts
+ * Uses approach similar to stable-sync.js
+ */
+async function mergeWithFavorDestination(sourceBranch, destBranch) {
+  console.log(`\n${'='.repeat(60)}`);
+  console.log(`Merging ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}`);
+  console.log('='.repeat(60));
+
+  // Check if already merged
+  const alreadyMerged = await isBranchMerged(sourceBranch);
+  if (alreadyMerged) {
+    console.log(`Branch ${sourceBranch} is already merged into ${destBranch}. Skipping.`);
+    return { skipped: true };
+  }
+
+  // Try to merge with "ours" strategy for conflicts (favors current branch)
+  const mergeResult = await gitExec(
+    `merge origin/${sourceBranch} -X ours --no-edit -m "Merge ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}"`,
+    { ignoreError: true },
+  );
+
+  if (!mergeResult.success) {
+    // If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
+    console.log('Merge had conflicts, resolving by favoring destination branch...');
+
+    // Add all files and resolve conflicts by keeping destination version
+    await gitExec('add .');
+
+    // For any remaining conflicts, checkout our version
+    try {
+      const { stdout: conflictFiles } = await exec('git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U');
+      if (conflictFiles.trim()) {
+        for (const file of conflictFiles.trim().split('\n')) {
+          if (file) {
+            console.log(`Resolving conflict in ${file} by keeping destination version`);
+            await gitExec(`checkout --ours "${file}"`);
+            await gitExec(`add "${file}"`);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      // No conflicts to resolve
+    }
+
+    // Complete the merge
+    const { stdout: status } = await exec('git status --porcelain');
+    if (status.trim()) {
+      const commitResult = await gitExec(
+        `commit -m "Merge ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}" --no-verify`,
+        { ignoreError: true },
+      );
+      if (!commitResult.success) {
+        throw new Error(`Failed to commit merge of ${sourceBranch}: ${commitResult.error?.message}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  console.log(`Successfully merged ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}`);
+  return { skipped: false };
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  const newReleaseBranch = process.env.NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH;
+
+  if (!newReleaseBranch) {
+    console.error('Error: NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH environment variable is not set');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  console.log(`New release branch: ${newReleaseBranch}`);
+
+  const newVersion = parseReleaseVersion(newReleaseBranch);
+  if (!newVersion) {
+    console.error(
+      `Error: ${newReleaseBranch} is not a valid release branch (expected format: release/X.Y.Z)`,
+    );
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  console.log(`Parsed version: ${newVersion.major}.${newVersion.minor}.${newVersion.patch}`);
+
+  // Get all release branches
+  const allReleaseBranches = await getReleaseBranches();
+  console.log(`\nFound ${allReleaseBranches.length} release branches:`);
+  allReleaseBranches.forEach((b) => console.log(`  - ${b}`));
+
+  // Filter to only branches older than the new one, sorted from oldest to newest
+  const olderBranches = allReleaseBranches
+    .filter((branch) => {
+      const version = parseReleaseVersion(branch);
+      return version && compareVersions(version, newVersion) < 0;
+    })
+    .sort((a, b) => {
+      const versionA = parseReleaseVersion(a);
+      const versionB = parseReleaseVersion(b);
+      return compareVersions(versionA, versionB);
+    });
+
+  if (olderBranches.length === 0) {
+    console.log('\nNo older release branches found. Nothing to merge.');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  console.log(`\nOlder release branches found (oldest to newest):`);
+  olderBranches.forEach((b) => console.log(`  - ${b}`));
+
+  // Merge all older branches
+  const branchesToMerge = olderBranches;
+  console.log(`\nWill merge all ${branchesToMerge.length} older branches.`);
+
+  // We should already be on the new release branch (checkout was done in the workflow)
+  // But let's verify and ensure we're on the right branch
+  const { stdout: currentBranch } = await exec('git branch --show-current');
+  if (currentBranch.trim() !== newReleaseBranch) {
+    console.log(`Switching to ${newReleaseBranch}...`);
+    await gitExec(`checkout ${newReleaseBranch}`);
+  }
+
+  // Merge each branch (fail fast on errors)
+  let mergedCount = 0;
+  let skippedCount = 0;
+
+  for (const olderBranch of branchesToMerge) {
+    const result = await mergeWithFavorDestination(olderBranch, newReleaseBranch);
+    if (result.skipped) {
+      skippedCount++;
+    } else {
+      mergedCount++;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Only push if we actually merged something
+  if (mergedCount > 0) {
+    console.log('\nPushing merged changes...');
+    await gitExec(`push origin ${newReleaseBranch}`);
+  } else {
+    console.log('\nNo new merges were made (all branches were already merged).');
+  }
+
+  console.log('\n' + '='.repeat(60));
+  console.log('Merge complete!');
+  console.log(`  Branches merged: ${mergedCount}`);
+  console.log(`  Branches skipped (already merged): ${skippedCount}`);
+  console.log(`All source branches remain open as requested.`);
+  console.log('='.repeat(60));
+}
+
+main().catch((error) => {
+  console.error(`\nFatal error: ${error.message}`);
+  console.error('Aborting to prevent pushing partial merges.');
+  process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dba94ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Merge Previous Release Branches Script
+#
+# This script is triggered when a new release branch is created (e.g., release/2.1.2).
+# It finds all previous release branches and merges them into the new release branch.
+#
+# Key behaviors:
+# - Merges ALL older release branches into the new one
+# - For merge conflicts, favors the destination branch (new release)
+# - Both branches remain open after merge
+# - Fails fast on errors to prevent pushing partial merges
+#
+# Environment variables:
+# - NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)
+
+set -e
+
+# Parse a release branch name to extract version components
+# Returns: "major minor patch" or empty string if not valid
+parse_release_version() {
+  local branch_name="$1"
+  if [[ "$branch_name" =~ ^release/([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)$ ]]; then
+    echo "${BASH_REMATCH[1]} ${BASH_REMATCH[2]} ${BASH_REMATCH[3]}"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Check if version A is older than version B
+# Returns: exit code 0 if a < b, 1 otherwise
+is_version_older() {
+  local a_major="$1" a_minor="$2" a_patch="$3"
+  local b_major="$4" b_minor="$5" b_patch="$6"
+
+  if [[ "$a_major" -lt "$b_major" ]]; then return 0; fi
+  if [[ "$a_major" -gt "$b_major" ]]; then return 1; fi
+  if [[ "$a_minor" -lt "$b_minor" ]]; then return 0; fi
+  if [[ "$a_minor" -gt "$b_minor" ]]; then return 1; fi
+  if [[ "$a_patch" -lt "$b_patch" ]]; then return 0; fi
+  return 1
+}
+
+# Execute a git command and log it
+git_exec() {
+  echo "Executing: git $*"
+  git "$@"
+}
+
+# Check if a branch has already been merged into the current branch. If yes, we skip merging it again.
+# Returns: exit code 0 if merged, 1 if not merged
+is_branch_merged() {
+  local source_branch="$1"
+  git merge-base --is-ancestor "origin/${source_branch}" HEAD 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+# Merge a source branch (older release branch) into the current branch (new release branch), favoring current branch on conflicts
+merge_with_favor_destination() {
+  local source_branch="$1"
+  local dest_branch="$2"
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "============================================================"
+  echo "Merging ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
+  echo "============================================================"
+
+  # Check if already merged
+  if is_branch_merged "$source_branch"; then
+    echo "Branch ${source_branch} is already merged into ${dest_branch}. Skipping."
+    return 1  # Return 1 to indicate skipped
+  fi
+
+  # Try to merge with "ours" strategy for conflicts (favors current branch (new release))
+  if git_exec merge "origin/${source_branch}" -X ours --no-edit -m "Merge ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"; then
+    echo "Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
+    return 0  # Return 0 to indicate merged
+  fi
+
+  # If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
+  echo "Merge had conflicts, resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
+
+  # Add all files and resolve conflicts by keeping destination version
+  git_exec add .
+
+  # For any remaining conflicts, checkout our version
+  local conflict_files
+  conflict_files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U 2>/dev/null || true)
+  if [[ -n "$conflict_files" ]]; then
+    while IFS= read -r file; do
+      if [[ -n "$file" ]]; then
+        echo "Resolving conflict in ${file} by keeping destination version"
+        git_exec checkout --ours "$file"
+        git_exec add "$file"
+      fi
+    done <<< "$conflict_files"
+  fi
+
+  # Complete the merge
+  local status
+  status=$(git status --porcelain)
+  if [[ -n "$status" ]]; then
+    if ! git_exec commit -m "Merge ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}" --no-verify; then
+      echo "Failed to commit merge of ${source_branch}"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  echo "Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
+  return 0  # Return 0 to indicate merged
+}
+
+main() {
+  if [[ -z "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH environment variable is not set"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "New release branch: ${NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+
+  # Parse the new release version
+  local new_version
+  new_version=$(parse_release_version "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH")
+  if [[ -z "$new_version" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: ${NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH} is not a valid release branch (expected format: release/X.Y.Z)"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  read -r new_major new_minor new_patch <<< "$new_version"
+  echo "Parsed version: ${new_major}.${new_minor}.${new_patch}"
+
+  # Fetch all remote branches
+  git_exec fetch origin
+
+  # Get all release branches
+  local all_release_branches=()
+  while IFS= read -r branch; do
+    # Remove "origin/" prefix and whitespace
+    branch="${branch#*origin/}"
+    branch="${branch// /}"
+    if [[ -n "$branch" ]] && [[ -n "$(parse_release_version "$branch")" ]]; then
+      all_release_branches+=("$branch")
+    fi
+  done < <(git branch -r --list "origin/release/*")
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "Found ${#all_release_branches[@]} release branches:"
+  for b in "${all_release_branches[@]}"; do
+    echo "  - $b"
+  done
+
+  # Filter to only branches older than the new one
+  local older_branches=()
+  for branch in "${all_release_branches[@]}"; do
+    local version
+    version=$(parse_release_version "$branch")
+    if [[ -n "$version" ]]; then
+      read -r major minor patch <<< "$version"
+      if is_version_older "$major" "$minor" "$patch" "$new_major" "$new_minor" "$new_patch"; then
+        older_branches+=("$branch")
+      fi
+    fi
+  done
+
+  # Sort older branches from oldest to newest using version sort
+  local sorted_branches=()
+  while IFS= read -r branch; do
+    [[ -n "$branch" ]] && sorted_branches+=("$branch")
+  done < <(printf '%s\n' "${older_branches[@]}" | sort -V)
+  older_branches=("${sorted_branches[@]}")
+
+  if [[ ${#older_branches[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "No older release branches found. Nothing to merge."
+    exit 0
+  fi
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "Older release branches found (oldest to newest):"
+  for b in "${older_branches[@]}"; do
+    echo "  - $b"
+  done
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "Will merge all ${#older_branches[@]} older branches."
+
+  # Verify we're on the right branch
+  local current_branch
+  current_branch=$(git branch --show-current)
+  if [[ "$current_branch" != "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH" ]]; then
+    echo "Switching to ${NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH}..."
+    git_exec checkout "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH"
+  fi
+
+  # Merge each branch (fail fast on errors)
+  local merged_count=0
+  local skipped_count=0
+
+  for older_branch in "${older_branches[@]}"; do
+    if merge_with_favor_destination "$older_branch" "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH"; then
+      ((merged_count++))
+    else
+      ((skipped_count++))
+    fi
+  done
+
+  # Only push if we actually merged something
+  if [[ "$merged_count" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "Pushing merged changes..."
+    git_exec push origin "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH"
+  else
+    echo ""
+    echo "No new merges were made (all branches were already merged)."
+  fi
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "============================================================"
+  echo "Merge complete!"
+  echo "  Branches merged: ${merged_count}"
+  echo "  Branches skipped (already merged): ${skipped_count}"
+  echo "All source branches remain open as requested."
+  echo "============================================================"
+}
+
+# Run main and handle errors
+main "$@"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80b2ad65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+name: Merge Previous Releases
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      new-release-branch:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
+    secrets:
+      github-token:
+        required: true
+        description: 'GitHub token for authentication'
+
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      new-release-branch:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
+
+jobs:
+  merge-previous-releases:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Merge previous releases
+        uses: ./.github/actions/merge-previous-releases
+        with:
+          new-release-branch: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

From c87ac05d99e2611ffe55c2e70932d5453fe66139 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 12:14:54 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 02/14] INFRA-3187: Removed extra action, fixed workflow

---
 .../merge-previous-releases/action.yml        |  50 ----
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js    | 252 ------------------
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml |  27 +-
 3 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 306 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 .github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
 delete mode 100644 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index badda71b..00000000
--- a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-name: Merge Previous Releases
-description: 'An action to merge previous release branches into a newly created release branch.'
-
-inputs:
-  new-release-branch:
-    required: true
-    description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
-  github-token:
-    description: 'GitHub token used for authentication.'
-    required: true
-  github-tools-repository:
-    description: 'The GitHub repository containing the GitHub tools. Defaults to the GitHub tools action repository, and usually does not need to be changed.'
-    required: false
-    default: ${{ github.action_repository }}
-  github-tools-ref:
-    description: 'The SHA of the action to use. Defaults to the current action ref, and usually does not need to be changed.'
-    required: false
-    default: ${{ github.action_ref }}
-
-runs:
-  using: composite
-  steps:
-    - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      with:
-        repository: ${{ inputs.github-tools-repository }}
-        ref: ${{ inputs.github-tools-ref }}
-        path: ./github-tools
-
-    - name: Set Git user and email
-      shell: bash
-      run: |
-        git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-        git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-
-    - name: Run merge previous releases script
-      id: merge-releases
-      env:
-        NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
-      shell: bash
-      run: |
-        # Ensure github-tools is in .gitignore to prevent it from being committed
-        if ! grep -q "^github-tools/" .gitignore 2>/dev/null; then
-          echo "github-tools/" >> .gitignore
-          echo "Added github-tools/ to .gitignore"
-        fi
-
-        # Execute the script from github-tools
-        bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ccbdec46..00000000
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,252 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-
-/**
- * Merge Previous Release Branches Script
- *
- * This script is triggered when a new release branch is created (e.g., release/2.1.2).
- * It finds all previous release branches and merges them into the new release branch.
- *
- * Key behaviors:
- * - Merges ALL older release branches into the new one
- * - For merge conflicts, favors the destination branch (new release)
- * - Both branches remain open after merge
- * - Fails fast on errors to prevent pushing partial merges
- *
- * Environment variables:
- * - NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)
- */
-
-const { promisify } = require('util');
-const exec = promisify(require('child_process').exec);
-
-/**
- * Parse a release branch name to extract version components
- * @param {string} branchName - Branch name like "release/2.1.2"
- * @returns {object|null} - { major, minor, patch } or null if not a valid release branch
- */
-function parseReleaseVersion(branchName) {
-  // Match release/X.Y.Z format (does not match release candidates like release/2.1.2-rc.1)
-  const match = branchName.match(/^release\/(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$/);
-  if (!match) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  return {
-    major: parseInt(match[1], 10),
-    minor: parseInt(match[2], 10),
-    patch: parseInt(match[3], 10),
-  };
-}
-
-/**
- * Compare two version objects
- * @returns {number} - negative if a < b, positive if a > b, 0 if equal
- */
-function compareVersions(a, b) {
-  if (a.major !== b.major) return a.major - b.major;
-  if (a.minor !== b.minor) return a.minor - b.minor;
-  return a.patch - b.patch;
-}
-
-/**
- * Execute a git command and log it
- */
-async function gitExec(command, options = {}) {
-  const { ignoreError = false } = options;
-  console.log(`Executing: git ${command}`);
-  try {
-    const { stdout, stderr } = await exec(`git ${command}`);
-    if (stdout.trim()) console.log(stdout.trim());
-    if (stderr.trim()) console.log(stderr.trim());
-    return { stdout, stderr, success: true };
-  } catch (error) {
-    if (ignoreError) {
-      console.warn(`Warning: ${error.message}`);
-      return { stdout: error.stdout, stderr: error.stderr, success: false, error };
-    }
-    throw error;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Get all remote release branches
- */
-async function getReleaseBranches() {
-  await gitExec('fetch origin');
-  const { stdout } = await exec('git branch -r --list "origin/release/*"');
-  return stdout
-    .split('\n')
-    .map((branch) => branch.trim().replace('origin/', ''))
-    .filter((branch) => branch && parseReleaseVersion(branch));
-}
-
-/**
- * Check if a branch has already been merged into the current branch. If yes, skip the merge.
- * @param {string} sourceBranch - The branch to check if it has already been merged into the current branch
- * @returns {Promise<boolean>} - True if the branch has already been merged into the current branch, false otherwise
- */
-async function isBranchMerged(sourceBranch) {
-  try {
-    // Check if the source branch's HEAD is an ancestor of current HEAD
-    const { stdout } = await exec(
-      `git merge-base --is-ancestor origin/${sourceBranch} HEAD && echo "merged" || echo "not-merged"`,
-    );
-    return stdout.trim() === 'merged';
-  } catch {
-    // If the command fails, assume not merged
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Merge a source branch into the current branch, favoring current branch on conflicts
- * Uses approach similar to stable-sync.js
- */
-async function mergeWithFavorDestination(sourceBranch, destBranch) {
-  console.log(`\n${'='.repeat(60)}`);
-  console.log(`Merging ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}`);
-  console.log('='.repeat(60));
-
-  // Check if already merged
-  const alreadyMerged = await isBranchMerged(sourceBranch);
-  if (alreadyMerged) {
-    console.log(`Branch ${sourceBranch} is already merged into ${destBranch}. Skipping.`);
-    return { skipped: true };
-  }
-
-  // Try to merge with "ours" strategy for conflicts (favors current branch)
-  const mergeResult = await gitExec(
-    `merge origin/${sourceBranch} -X ours --no-edit -m "Merge ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}"`,
-    { ignoreError: true },
-  );
-
-  if (!mergeResult.success) {
-    // If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
-    console.log('Merge had conflicts, resolving by favoring destination branch...');
-
-    // Add all files and resolve conflicts by keeping destination version
-    await gitExec('add .');
-
-    // For any remaining conflicts, checkout our version
-    try {
-      const { stdout: conflictFiles } = await exec('git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U');
-      if (conflictFiles.trim()) {
-        for (const file of conflictFiles.trim().split('\n')) {
-          if (file) {
-            console.log(`Resolving conflict in ${file} by keeping destination version`);
-            await gitExec(`checkout --ours "${file}"`);
-            await gitExec(`add "${file}"`);
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    } catch (e) {
-      // No conflicts to resolve
-    }
-
-    // Complete the merge
-    const { stdout: status } = await exec('git status --porcelain');
-    if (status.trim()) {
-      const commitResult = await gitExec(
-        `commit -m "Merge ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}" --no-verify`,
-        { ignoreError: true },
-      );
-      if (!commitResult.success) {
-        throw new Error(`Failed to commit merge of ${sourceBranch}: ${commitResult.error?.message}`);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  console.log(`Successfully merged ${sourceBranch} into ${destBranch}`);
-  return { skipped: false };
-}
-
-async function main() {
-  const newReleaseBranch = process.env.NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH;
-
-  if (!newReleaseBranch) {
-    console.error('Error: NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH environment variable is not set');
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  console.log(`New release branch: ${newReleaseBranch}`);
-
-  const newVersion = parseReleaseVersion(newReleaseBranch);
-  if (!newVersion) {
-    console.error(
-      `Error: ${newReleaseBranch} is not a valid release branch (expected format: release/X.Y.Z)`,
-    );
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  console.log(`Parsed version: ${newVersion.major}.${newVersion.minor}.${newVersion.patch}`);
-
-  // Get all release branches
-  const allReleaseBranches = await getReleaseBranches();
-  console.log(`\nFound ${allReleaseBranches.length} release branches:`);
-  allReleaseBranches.forEach((b) => console.log(`  - ${b}`));
-
-  // Filter to only branches older than the new one, sorted from oldest to newest
-  const olderBranches = allReleaseBranches
-    .filter((branch) => {
-      const version = parseReleaseVersion(branch);
-      return version && compareVersions(version, newVersion) < 0;
-    })
-    .sort((a, b) => {
-      const versionA = parseReleaseVersion(a);
-      const versionB = parseReleaseVersion(b);
-      return compareVersions(versionA, versionB);
-    });
-
-  if (olderBranches.length === 0) {
-    console.log('\nNo older release branches found. Nothing to merge.');
-    return;
-  }
-
-  console.log(`\nOlder release branches found (oldest to newest):`);
-  olderBranches.forEach((b) => console.log(`  - ${b}`));
-
-  // Merge all older branches
-  const branchesToMerge = olderBranches;
-  console.log(`\nWill merge all ${branchesToMerge.length} older branches.`);
-
-  // We should already be on the new release branch (checkout was done in the workflow)
-  // But let's verify and ensure we're on the right branch
-  const { stdout: currentBranch } = await exec('git branch --show-current');
-  if (currentBranch.trim() !== newReleaseBranch) {
-    console.log(`Switching to ${newReleaseBranch}...`);
-    await gitExec(`checkout ${newReleaseBranch}`);
-  }
-
-  // Merge each branch (fail fast on errors)
-  let mergedCount = 0;
-  let skippedCount = 0;
-
-  for (const olderBranch of branchesToMerge) {
-    const result = await mergeWithFavorDestination(olderBranch, newReleaseBranch);
-    if (result.skipped) {
-      skippedCount++;
-    } else {
-      mergedCount++;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Only push if we actually merged something
-  if (mergedCount > 0) {
-    console.log('\nPushing merged changes...');
-    await gitExec(`push origin ${newReleaseBranch}`);
-  } else {
-    console.log('\nNo new merges were made (all branches were already merged).');
-  }
-
-  console.log('\n' + '='.repeat(60));
-  console.log('Merge complete!');
-  console.log(`  Branches merged: ${mergedCount}`);
-  console.log(`  Branches skipped (already merged): ${skippedCount}`);
-  console.log(`All source branches remain open as requested.`);
-  console.log('='.repeat(60));
-}
-
-main().catch((error) => {
-  console.error(`\nFatal error: ${error.message}`);
-  console.error('Aborting to prevent pushing partial merges.');
-  process.exit(1);
-});
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index 80b2ad65..b7842676 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -29,8 +29,27 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Merge previous releases
-        uses: ./.github/actions/merge-previous-releases
+      - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
-          new-release-branch: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
-          github-token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          repository: metamask/github-tools
+          path: ./github-tools
+
+      - name: Set Git user and email
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+      - name: Run merge previous releases script
+        env:
+          NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          # Ensure github-tools is in .gitignore to prevent it from being committed
+          if ! grep -q "^github-tools/" .gitignore 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "github-tools/" >> .gitignore
+            echo "Added github-tools/ to .gitignore"
+          fi
+
+          # Execute the script
+          bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh

From 8f8a22e647366fa39320eac1f68ceb479fea514f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 12:21:33 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 03/14] INFRA-3187: Update ref for testing

---
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index b7842676..7a51b9a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           repository: metamask/github-tools
+          ref: INFRA-3187-AutomateMergingReleaseBranches
           path: ./github-tools
 
       - name: Set Git user and email

From 860652aec45a5fe1794cc90a6e10b0df480e4bc9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 12:31:03 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 04/14] INFRA-2187:Fix already merged branch issue

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index dba94ae1..e6dc67fb 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -195,9 +195,9 @@ main() {
 
   for older_branch in "${older_branches[@]}"; do
     if merge_with_favor_destination "$older_branch" "$NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH"; then
-      ((merged_count++))
+      ((merged_count++)) || true
     else
-      ((skipped_count++))
+      ((skipped_count++)) || true
     fi
   done
 

From 999d4b3d318322fe33a7c18cbbe27e7f20873933 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 13:03:27 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 05/14] INFRA-3187: Update comments for merge conflicts

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh | 11 +++++++----
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index e6dc67fb..733e123e 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -70,27 +70,30 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
 
   # Try to merge with "ours" strategy for conflicts (favors current branch (new release))
   if git_exec merge "origin/${source_branch}" -X ours --no-edit -m "Merge ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"; then
-    echo "Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
+    echo "✅ Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
     return 0  # Return 0 to indicate merged
   fi
 
   # If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
-  echo "Merge had conflicts, resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
+  echo "⚠️  Merge conflict detected! Resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
 
   # Add all files and resolve conflicts by keeping destination version
   git_exec add .
 
   # For any remaining conflicts, checkout our version
   local conflict_files
+  local conflict_count=0
   conflict_files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U 2>/dev/null || true)
   if [[ -n "$conflict_files" ]]; then
     while IFS= read -r file; do
       if [[ -n "$file" ]]; then
-        echo "Resolving conflict in ${file} by keeping destination version"
+        echo "  - Conflict in: ${file} → keeping destination version"
         git_exec checkout --ours "$file"
         git_exec add "$file"
+        ((conflict_count++)) || true
       fi
     done <<< "$conflict_files"
+    echo "✅ Resolved ${conflict_count} conflict(s) by keeping destination branch version"
   fi
 
   # Complete the merge
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
     fi
   fi
 
-  echo "Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}"
+  echo "✅ Successfully merged ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch} (${conflict_count} conflict(s) resolved)"
   return 0  # Return 0 to indicate merged
 }
 

From 2b07d72f5e5dd908404885ba0015d853d55ca33b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 13:23:20 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 06/14] INFRA-3187: Code review fixes

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh    | 11 +++++++----
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml |  1 -
 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index 733e123e..624e6eca 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -77,10 +77,7 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
   # If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
   echo "⚠️  Merge conflict detected! Resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
 
-  # Add all files and resolve conflicts by keeping destination version
-  git_exec add .
-
-  # For any remaining conflicts, checkout our version
+  # First, resolve any unmerged (conflicted) files by keeping our version
   local conflict_files
   local conflict_count=0
   conflict_files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U 2>/dev/null || true)
@@ -96,6 +93,12 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
     echo "✅ Resolved ${conflict_count} conflict(s) by keeping destination branch version"
   fi
 
+  # Now add any remaining files (non-conflicted changes)
+  git_exec add .
+
+  # Reset .gitignore to avoid committing workflow-specific changes (github-tools/ entry)
+  git checkout HEAD -- .gitignore 2>/dev/null || true
+
   # Complete the merge
   local status
   status=$(git status --porcelain)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index 7a51b9a6..b7842676 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           repository: metamask/github-tools
-          ref: INFRA-3187-AutomateMergingReleaseBranches
           path: ./github-tools
 
       - name: Set Git user and email

From 879a51dd33727eb1a2c90e1c7c407f4ff0455a85 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 13:35:11 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 07/14] INFRA-3187: Resolve more code review bugs

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh | 18 +++++++++---------
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index 624e6eca..c3b5c6c1 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -93,17 +93,17 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
     echo "✅ Resolved ${conflict_count} conflict(s) by keeping destination branch version"
   fi
 
-  # Now add any remaining files (non-conflicted changes)
-  git_exec add .
+  # Now add any remaining files (non-conflicted changes), excluding github-tools directory
+  git_exec add -- . ':!github-tools'
 
-  # Reset .gitignore to avoid committing workflow-specific changes (github-tools/ entry)
-  git checkout HEAD -- .gitignore 2>/dev/null || true
+  # Unstage .gitignore to avoid committing workflow-specific changes (github-tools/ entry)
+  # Using reset instead of checkout because .gitignore may not exist in HEAD
+  git reset HEAD -- .gitignore 2>/dev/null || true
 
-  # Complete the merge
-  local status
-  status=$(git status --porcelain)
-  if [[ -n "$status" ]]; then
-    if ! git_exec commit -m "Merge ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}" --no-verify; then
+  # Complete the merge - always commit when in merge state, even if no content changes
+  # Check if we're in a merge state (MERGE_HEAD exists)
+  if [[ -f .git/MERGE_HEAD ]]; then
+    if ! git_exec commit -m "Merge ${source_branch} into ${dest_branch}" --no-verify --allow-empty; then
       echo "Failed to commit merge of ${source_branch}"
       exit 1
     fi

From f967d6edd55bf20af9b8d8c6adc3bdd973f56b41 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 13:47:39 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 08/14] INFRA-3187: More code review fixes

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh    |  4 ----
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml | 10 +---------
 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index c3b5c6c1..06184d6a 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -96,10 +96,6 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
   # Now add any remaining files (non-conflicted changes), excluding github-tools directory
   git_exec add -- . ':!github-tools'
 
-  # Unstage .gitignore to avoid committing workflow-specific changes (github-tools/ entry)
-  # Using reset instead of checkout because .gitignore may not exist in HEAD
-  git reset HEAD -- .gitignore 2>/dev/null || true
-
   # Complete the merge - always commit when in merge state, even if no content changes
   # Check if we're in a merge state (MERGE_HEAD exists)
   if [[ -f .git/MERGE_HEAD ]]; then
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index b7842676..2064c901 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -44,12 +44,4 @@ jobs:
         env:
           NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: |
-          # Ensure github-tools is in .gitignore to prevent it from being committed
-          if ! grep -q "^github-tools/" .gitignore 2>/dev/null; then
-            echo "github-tools/" >> .gitignore
-            echo "Added github-tools/ to .gitignore"
-          fi
-
-          # Execute the script
-          bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+        run: bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh

From 1d21176114487e1d845c892d707823b04e14893e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 14:04:47 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 09/14] INFRA-3187: More code review fixes

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh    | 6 ++++++
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml | 1 +
 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index 06184d6a..f8af05d0 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
   fi
 
   # If merge still fails (shouldn't happen with -X ours, but just in case)
+  # First verify we're actually in a merge state (MERGE_HEAD exists)
+  if [[ ! -f .git/MERGE_HEAD ]]; then
+    echo "❌ Merge failed unexpectedly (no merge state). Aborting."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   echo "⚠️  Merge conflict detected! Resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
 
   # First, resolve any unmerged (conflicted) files by keeping our version
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index 2064c901..9ee5b89e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           ref: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
           fetch-depth: 0
+          token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v5

From c12d2b94894e025365c0f178c8bcdd68bd1b2cc4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:44:07 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 10/14] INFRA-3187: Code review fix

---
 .../merge-previous-releases/action.yml        | 42 +++++++++++++++++++
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml | 19 ++-------
 2 files changed, 46 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 .github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09cee609
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+name: Merge Previous Releases
+description: 'An action to merge previous release branches into a newly created release branch.'
+
+inputs:
+  new-release-branch:
+    required: true
+    description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
+  github-token:
+    description: 'GitHub token used for authentication.'
+    required: true
+  github-tools-repository:
+    description: 'The GitHub repository containing the GitHub tools. Defaults to the GitHub tools action repository, and usually does not need to be changed.'
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.action_repository }}
+  github-tools-ref:
+    description: 'The SHA of the action to use. Defaults to the current action ref, and usually does not need to be changed.'
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.action_ref }}
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      with:
+        repository: ${{ inputs.github-tools-repository }}
+        ref: ${{ inputs.github-tools-ref }}
+        path: ./github-tools
+
+    - name: Set Git user and email
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+        git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+    - name: Run merge previous releases script
+      env:
+        NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
+      shell: bash
+      run: bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
index 9ee5b89e..489140c4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
@@ -30,19 +30,8 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
           token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - name: Merge previous releases
+        uses: metamask/github-tools/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases@INFRA-3187-AutomateMergingReleaseBranches
         with:
-          repository: metamask/github-tools
-          path: ./github-tools
-
-      - name: Set Git user and email
-        run: |
-          git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-
-      - name: Run merge previous releases script
-        env:
-          NEW_RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+          new-release-branch: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

From 22f3e417bbe49368f544b766398f5c27d9c84149 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:13:57 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 11/14] INFRA-3187: Removed workflow in favor of action being
 called directly

---
 .../merge-previous-releases/action.yml        |  7 ++++
 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml | 37 -------------------
 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 .github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
index 09cee609..57ab249d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ inputs:
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
+    - name: Checkout repository
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      with:
+        ref: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
+        fetch-depth: 0
+        token: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
+
     - name: Checkout GitHub tools repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v6
       with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 489140c4..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-previous-releases.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-name: Merge Previous Releases
-
-on:
-  workflow_call:
-    inputs:
-      new-release-branch:
-        required: true
-        type: string
-        description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
-    secrets:
-      github-token:
-        required: true
-        description: 'GitHub token for authentication'
-
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      new-release-branch:
-        required: true
-        type: string
-        description: 'The newly created release branch (e.g., release/2.1.2)'
-
-jobs:
-  merge-previous-releases:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v5
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
-          fetch-depth: 0
-          token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-      - name: Merge previous releases
-        uses: metamask/github-tools/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases@INFRA-3187-AutomateMergingReleaseBranches
-        with:
-          new-release-branch: ${{ inputs.new-release-branch }}
-          github-token: ${{ secrets.github-token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

From 7f9ddf206edc247020120394b6a36c1c63e7539d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:30:52 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 12/14] INFRA-3187: Updated commit metadata to use metamaskbot

---
 .github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
index 57ab249d..bf0e7c27 100644
--- a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ runs:
     - name: Set Git user and email
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-        git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+        git config --global user.name "metamaskbot"
+        git config --global user.email "metamaskbot@users.noreply.github.com"
 
     - name: Run merge previous releases script
       env:

From e20158bb44b857e1b62e22b595ff682e7938ea75 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:56:55 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 13/14] INFRA-3187: Code review fix

---
 .github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh | 26 +++++++++++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
index f8af05d0..75ff04d0 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
@@ -83,7 +83,13 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
 
   echo "⚠️  Merge conflict detected! Resolving by favoring destination branch (new release)..."
 
-  # First, resolve any unmerged (conflicted) files by keeping our version
+  # Resolve any unmerged (conflicted) files by keeping destination version.
+  #
+  # Git merge terminology in this context:
+  #   - "ours"   = destination branch (new release, e.g., release/2.1.2) - the branch we're ON
+  #   - "theirs" = source branch (older release, e.g., release/2.1.1) - the branch being merged IN
+  #
+  # We favor "ours" (destination) because the new release branch should take precedence.
   local conflict_files
   local conflict_count=0
   conflict_files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U 2>/dev/null || true)
@@ -91,8 +97,22 @@ merge_with_favor_destination() {
     while IFS= read -r file; do
       if [[ -n "$file" ]]; then
         echo "  - Conflict in: ${file} → keeping destination version"
-        git_exec checkout --ours "$file"
-        git_exec add "$file"
+        # Try to checkout destination version ("ours")
+        # If checkout fails, the file was deleted in destination - keep that deletion
+        if git checkout --ours "$file" 2>/dev/null; then
+          git add "$file"
+        else
+          # Modify/delete conflict scenario:
+          #   - Destination branch (new release) ALREADY deleted this file intentionally
+          #   - Source branch (older release) modified this file
+          #   - Git doesn't know which action to keep
+          #
+          # We use "git rm" to confirm the deletion should stand (destination wins).
+          # This does NOT delete a file that exists - it tells Git "keep the file deleted".
+          # The --force flag is required because the file is in a conflicted/unmerged state.
+          echo "    (file was deleted in destination, keeping deletion)"
+          git rm --force "$file" 2>/dev/null || true
+        fi
         ((conflict_count++)) || true
       fi
     done <<< "$conflict_files"

From 535b887681165f77ef85b2b9780eab9184f884b1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pavel Dvorkin <pavel.dvorkin@consensys.net>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:02:54 -0500
Subject: [PATCH 14/14] INFRA-2817: Resolved linting error

---
 .github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml | 1 -
 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
index bf0e7c27..c87eca2b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/merge-previous-releases/action.yml
@@ -46,4 +46,3 @@ runs:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
       shell: bash
       run: bash ./github-tools/.github/scripts/merge-previous-releases.sh
-