diff --git a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/branch/validate_positions.rs b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/branch/validate_positions.rs
index 031063f..dc519d2 100644
--- a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/branch/validate_positions.rs
+++ b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/branch/validate_positions.rs
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ pub async fn validate_positions(
         );
         return Err(Error::BranchHasNoCommits(repo_config.branches().main()));
     };
+    // Dev must be on main branch, or user must rebase it
+    let dev_has_main = commit_histories.dev.iter().any(|commit| commit == &main);
+    if !dev_has_main {
+        warn!(
+            "Dev branch '{}' is not based on main branch '{}' - user should rebase onto main branch '{}'",
+            repo_config.branches().dev(),
+            repo_config.branches().main(),
+            repo_config.branches().main(),
+        );
+        return Err(Error::DevBranchNotBasedOn(repo_config.branches().main()));
+    }
     // verify that next is an ancestor of dev, and force update to it main if it isn't
     let Some(next) = commit_histories.next.first().cloned() else {
         warn!(
@@ -119,16 +130,7 @@ pub async fn validate_positions(
         );
         return Err(Error::DevBranchNotBasedOn(repo_config.branches().next())); // dev is not based on next
     }
-    let dev_has_main = commit_histories.dev.iter().any(|commit| commit == &main);
-    if !dev_has_main {
-        warn!(
-            "Dev branch '{}' is not based on main branch '{}' - user should rebase onto main branch '{}'",
-            repo_config.branches().dev(),
-            repo_config.branches().main(),
-            repo_config.branches().main(),
-        );
-        return Err(Error::DevBranchNotBasedOn(repo_config.branches().main()));
-    }
+
     let Some(dev) = commit_histories.dev.first().cloned() else {
         warn!(
             "No commits on dev branch '{}'",