How to Merge Only Specific Changes from a Git Branch

Quick Answer / TL;DR If you just want to copy one specific commit (e.g., 9c4e7d2) from a feature branch to master:

1. Switch to master: git checkout master
2. Find the commit hash: git log feature-branch
3. Copy it over: git cherry-pick 9c4e7d2

Every developer has faced this nightmare: you create a fix branch off develop to patch a critical bug. But develop also contains 15 broken experimental features. If you run a standard git merge, you bring the bug fix and the broken features into production.

The solution is Git Cherry-Pick.

Think of cherry-pick as a surgical tool. Instead of merging a whole branch history, it allows you to copy-paste specific commits onto your clean branch.

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3 Steps to Cherry-Pick Like a Pro

Let's assume you have a branch fix-1 with a critical bug fix, but it’s mixed in with experimental code you don't want.

Step 1: Find the Commit Hash

First, look at the history of your feature branch to find the ID (hash) of the commit you want to keep.

$ git log fix-1 --oneline --graph

* 8f3a2b1 (fix-1) Fix: Handle null values in user preferences  <-- WANT THIS
* 9c4e7d2 Fix: Add validation for email format                 <-- WANT THIS
* a1b2c3d (develop) Experimental: New dashboard layout         <-- DON'T WANT
* ...

In this case, we want 9c4e7d2 and 8f3a2b1.

Step 2: Switch and Pick

Go to the branch where you want the changes (usually master or main) and run the cherry-pick command.

# 1. Switch to clean branch
$ git checkout master

# 2. Pick the commits (Oldest to Newest)
$ git cherry-pick 9c4e7d2
$ git cherry-pick 8f3a2b1

Tip: You can pick multiple commits at once! git cherry-pick 9c4e7d2 8f3a2b1

Step 3: Verify

Always double-check that you only brought over what you intended.

$ git log --oneline -3
3d4e5f6 Fix: Handle null values in user preferences
7a8b9c2 Fix: Add validation for email format
abc1234 Previous stable commit

If you see your fixes without the "Experimental" commits, you're safe to push.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

What if I get a conflict?

Conflicts happen if the file you're fixing has changed differently on master.

1. git status to see the conflicted files.
2. Open the files and resolve the code (remove <<<<<<< markers).
3. git add <file>
4. git cherry-pick --continue

What if I picked the wrong commit?

If you haven't pushed yet, you can easily undo the last cherry-pick:

$ git reset --hard HEAD~1

Can I copy a whole range of commits?

Yes. If you want everything between commit A and commit B:

$ git cherry-pick A..B

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Alternative Method: When Cherry-Pick Fails

Sometimes commits are too messy or interdependent for cherry-picking. In those cases, you can use the Diff/Patch method to just copy the file changes without the commit history.

# 1. Create a patch file of changes between develop and your branch
$ git diff develop..fix-1 > my-fix.patch

# 2. Switch to master and apply it
$ git checkout master
$ git apply my-fix.patch

This applies the changes to your working files (unstaged). You can then test them and commit them as a fresh new commit.

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This post was written by Jomar, Senior Developer at Medianeth. We help teams untangle complex Git workflows. Need help? Get in touch.