Cherry-pick commit then reset - recover the cherry-picked commit
Tests ability to recover a cherry-picked commit after reset using reflog. Evaluates reflog for cherry-pick-then-reset patterns.
Baseline Repository
These commands set up the repo before the model sees the prompt. They define the starting file structure, staged changes, and Git history.
- 01
git init - 02
git config user.email 'test@test.com' - 03
git config user.name 'Test User' - 04
echo 'feature: none' > feature.txt - 05
git add feature.txt - 06
git commit -m 'Initial feature state' - 07
git checkout -b bugfix - 08
echo 'feature: login' > feature.txt - 09
git add feature.txt - 10
git commit -m 'Implement login feature - urgent' - 11
git checkout main - 12
git cherry-pick bugfix - 13
git reset --hard HEAD~1
Prompt
You cherry-picked a commit from 'bugfix' branch but then accidentally reset it away. The commit message was 'Implement login feature - urgent'. Use git reflog to recover this commit and provide the command needed.
Expected
Implement login feature - urgent
Campaign Evidence
Loading campaign evidence…
Model Outputs (14)
To recover the cherry-picked commit that was reset away, you can use the reflog entry for that commit directly. The command:
```bash
git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
```
This moves the current branch (likely `main`) to the commit with message "Implement login feature - urgent" that was created by the cherry-pick (hash `f230b5e77723c9912dde45b8f68a96e066311221`). Using `HEAD@{1}` refers to the state before the accidental reset, as shown in your reflog.
Alternatively, you could use the full SHA:
```bash
git reset --hard f230b5e77723c9912dde45b8f68a96e066311221
```
Both commands achieve the same result—restoring the commit and its changes to your working tree and index.
a5f77ba2ed183a7016694be640b588458dd38d7f
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) { "ref": "a5f77ba2ed183a7016694be640b588458dd38d7f" }
Based on the reflog, the cherry-picked commit with message "Implement login feature - urgent" is at `48466f5192a527a7f5693746b3ddebf05e46e5e1`. To recover this commit, use:
```bash
git reset --hard 48466f5192a527a7f5693746b3ddebf05e46e5e1
```
Or, more conveniently using the reflog reference:
```bash
git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
```
This will restore your working directory and branch to the state right after the cherry-pick, recovering the lost "Implement login feature - urgent" commit.
e2ecc7e4196aabdad1ee1ca3e82bac3331086de8 HEAD@{1}
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {
"ref": "e2ecc7e4196aabdad1ee1ca3e82bac3331086de8 HEAD@{1}"
}
Based on the git reflog output, the commit you want to recover is `2d48399638c1a4c414649acd9ee2d33c6c292065` (which appears in both `HEAD@{1}` and `HEAD@{3}`).
To recover this commit, you can use either of these commands:
1. To cherry-pick the commit again:
```bash
git cherry-pick 2d48399638c1a4c414649acd9ee2d33c6c292065
```
2. Or to reset your HEAD back to this commit (if you want to make it the new HEAD):
```bash
git reset --hard 2d48399638c1a4c414649acd9ee2d33c6c292065
```
Since you originally cherry-picked this commit, the first option (cherry-pick) would be more appropriate to maintain your original workflow.
d66bba5e3b541fe2b595d5f73b972ed077310e3e
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {
"ref": "d66bba5e3b541fe2b595d5f73b972ed077310e3e"
}
**Recover the “login‑feature” commit with its SHA‑1 hash**
From the `git reflog` you posted you can see that the cherry‑pick commit you were looking for is:
```
4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b (HEAD@{1} / HEAD@{3})
```
That SHA‑1 is the unique identifier of the commit whose message is **“Implement login feature - urgent”**.
Below are a few common ways to bring that commit back into your working tree. Pick the one that matches the workflow you want.
---
### 1️⃣ Simply move the current `HEAD` back to that commit (detached HEAD)
```bash
git checkout 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b
```
*Result*: You end up with a **detached HEAD** pointing at the commit.
You can now inspect the code, test it, or create a new branch from it:
```bash
git checkout -b login-feature 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b
```
---
### 2️⃣ Re‑create the branch you were on and move the branch pointer to the commit
If you want a branch named `login-feature` that points exactly at that commit:
```bash
git checkout -b login-feature 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b
```
Now `login-feature` contains the commit and you can continue working.
---
### 3️⃣ Amend the reset that removed it (if you hadn’t run any other work)
If you only reset *without* any other changes, you could just re‑add the commit to the reflog and reset back:
```bash
# Reset the current branch pointer to the lost commit
git reset --hard 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b
```
*(Only do this if you’re sure no other work is dependent on the newer commits you may have added after the reset.)*
---
### 4️⃣ Cherry‑pick it again (another safe way)
If you prefer to replay the commit on top of your current `main`/`bugfix` line:
```bash
git cherry-pick 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b
```
That will give you the same changes, but placed on whatever branch you’re currently on.
---
## Quick recap of the relevant reflog entries
| reflog entry | Meaning |
|--------------|---------|
| `HEAD@{1}` | The cherry‑pick you performed (`Implement login feature - urgent`) |
| `HEAD@{3}` | The commit object with the same hash (`4c058f9ef…`) |
| `HEAD@{5}` | Initial commit (your project’s start) |
Since the hash appears in both positions, you can use either `HEAD@{1}` or the explicit SHA‑1. Using the explicit SHA‑1 is the most reliable because it bypasses any future changes to where HEAD points in the reflog.
---
### TL;DR Command
```bash
git checkout 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b # get the commit
# (or)
git checkout -b login-feature 4c058f9ef10f868cb90700ed036d2342720c6b5b # bring it onto a branch
```
That restores the lost commit. Happy coding! 🚀
Use git reflog to find the SHA of the lost cherry‑pick and then checkout/recreate it. The lost commit is recorded at HEAD@{1} (and also at HEAD@{3}). The SHA shown in the log is `7fb79d0f926549d242e95652c38b554ce6f4723a`.
Run:
```bash
# Make sure you are on a branch where you want the commit back, e.g. main
git checkout main
# Recreate the lost commit (you can either checkout the raw SHA or replay it with cherry‑pick)
# Option 1 – move the branch pointer to that exact commit:
git checkout 7fb79d0f926549d242e95652c38b554ce6f4723a
# or, if you prefer to replay the original cherry‑pick operation:
# git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}
```
After this step the commit "Implement login feature - urgent" will be back in your history and you can continue working from there.
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {
"ref": "Use git reflog to find the SHA of the lost cherry‑pick and then checkout/recreate it. The lost commit is recorded at HEAD@{1} (and also at HEAD@{3}). The SHA shown in the log is `7fb79d0f926549d242e95652c38b554ce6f4723a`.\n\nRun:\n\n```bash\n# Make sure you are on a branch where you want the commit back, e.g. main\ngit checkout main\n\n# Recreate the lost commit (you can either checkout the raw SHA or replay it with cherry‑pick)\n# Option 1 – move the branch pointer to that exact commit:\ngit checkout 7fb79d0f926549d242e95652c38b554ce6f4723a\n\n# or, if you prefer to replay the original cherry‑pick operation:\n# git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}\n```\n\nAfter this step the commit \"Implement login feature - urgent\" will be back in your history and you can continue working from there."
}
**Recover the lost login‑feature commit**
The commit you’re looking for is recorded under the Ref label **`refs/heads/bugfix`** – it was originally created on that branch before you reset it away.
The easiest way to bring it back is to cherry‑pick it from the branch again, or simply reset your current branch to point at it.
Below are the exact commands you can run, step‑by‑step.
---
## 1. Find the exact SHA‑1 of the “Implement login feature - urgent” commit
You already see it in `git reflog` as entry `0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252`:
```
0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252 HEAD@{1}: cherry-pick: Implement login feature - urgent
```
So the commit hash is:
```
0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252
```
*(The SHA shown in `HEAD@{3}` is identical, confirming it’s the same commit.)*
---
## 2. Option A – Re‑checkout the commit on **bugfix**
```bash
# 1️⃣ Switch back to the bugfix branch
git checkout bugfix
```
> If the branch still exists (it should) you’ll be placed on it.
> If it no longer exists, create it from the commit you’re about to apply:
```bash
# create a temporary branch pointing at the lost commit
git checkout -b bugfix_recovery 0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252
```
---
## 3. Option B – Reset **main** (or whatever branch you’re on) to the lost commit
If you just want to bring the commit back to its original place on the branch it lived on (e.g., `main` or `bugfix`), you can reset directly to the saved SHA:
```bash
# Reset current branch to the commit
git reset --hard 0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252
```
**Caution:** `--hard` discards any uncommitted changes in your working tree. Only run this if you’re sure the working directory is clean or if you’re okay discarding those changes.
---
## 4. (Optional) Preserve the original branch pointer
If you want to **restore** `bugfix` exactly as it was before the reset, you can do:
```bash
# Create a new branch name pointing to that commit, then move bugfix to it
git branch bugfix_tmp 0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252 # creates a new ref
git checkout bugfix # move bugfix forward
git reset --hard bugfix_tmp # force bugfix to that commit
git branch -d bugfix_tmp # clean up the temporary ref
```
After this, `bugfix` points at the commit again, and you can continue developing on it.
---
## 5. Verify you have it back
```bash
git log --oneline -5 # should show “Implement login feature - urgent”
git show --stat # details of the commit
```
---
### Quick one‑liner (if you just want to get it back on `bugfix`)
```bash
git checkout bugfix && \
git reset --hard 0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252
```
*(Replace `bugfix` with whatever branch you want the commit restored on.)*
---
### TL;DR Command Summary
| Goal | Command |
|------|---------|
| **Show the commit’s hash** | Already known: `0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252` |
| **Switch to bugfix** | `git checkout bugfix` |
| **Reset current branch to that commit** | `git reset --hard 0895009ec70f228c30ae8d68c5eb150b785d3252` |
| **Create/restore the branch to the commit** | See step 4 above |
| **Confirm** | `git log --oneline` |
Run the appropriate command(s) and the `Implement login feature - urgent` commit will be back in your repository. Happy coding!
I can see the commit in your reflog! The cherry-picked commit "Implement login feature - urgent" is still available at `HEAD@{1}` (commit `a42a9a4f17ae069e98a4903d98067eab808f0c02`).
To recover this commit, use the following command:
```bash
git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}
```
Alternatively, you can use the full commit hash:
```bash
git cherry-pick a42a9a4f17ae069e98a4903d98067eab808f0c02
```
Both commands will restore the cherry-picked commit back onto your current branch. The `git reflog` is very useful for recovering commits that were recently removed by reset or other operations!
Looking at your git reflog, I can see the commit "Implement login feature - urgent" with hash `63fc3d43efaeb1d4837145155ed7c3b12ceadcfc` at `HEAD@{1}`.
To recover this commit, you can use the cherry-pick command:
```bash
git cherry-pick 63fc3d43efaeb1d4837145155ed7c3b12ceadcfc
```
This will replay the commit onto your current branch, effectively restoring the login feature implementation that was accidentally reset away.
69c81bf1273e3a6e2ed6d854d514e5407946aa8a
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {"ref": "69c81bf1273e3a6e2ed6d854d514e5407946aa8a"}
refs/heads/main
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {
"ref": "refs/heads/main"
}
Failure: Expected output to mention target hash prefix/full hash or matching HEAD@{n} selector for 'Implement login feature - urgent'
main
JSON Schema
Structured Output
(raw) {"ref": "main"}
Failure: Expected output to mention target hash prefix/full hash or matching HEAD@{n} selector for 'Implement login feature - urgent'