diff --git a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
index da45be6a8b..9fbb138159 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
@@ -50,10 +50,15 @@ def current_version(repo, commitish):
 
 def check_pyproject_dependencies(repo, from_commit, to_commit):
     try:
-        old_pyproject = tomllib.load(repo.show("{from_commit}:pyproject.toml"))
+        new_pyproject = tomllib.loads(repo.git.show(f"{to_commit}:pyproject.toml"))
+        try:
+            new_dependencies = set(new_pyproject["project"]["dependencies"])
+        except KeyError:
+            # New branch does not declare dependencies in pyproject.toml.
+            # Assume no release needed for this reason.
+            return []
+        old_pyproject = tomllib.loads(repo.git.show(f"{from_commit}:pyproject.toml"))
         old_dependencies = set(old_pyproject["project"]["dependencies"])
-        new_pyproject = tomllib.load(repo.show("{to_commit}:pyproject.toml"))
-        new_dependencies = set(new_pyproject["project"]["dependencies"])
         if old_dependencies != new_dependencies:
             return ["dependencies"]
         else:
diff --git a/.ci/scripts/validate_commit_message.py b/.ci/scripts/validate_commit_message.py
index 12183ce6f4..b92983d7e6 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/validate_commit_message.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/validate_commit_message.py
@@ -5,37 +5,57 @@
 #
 # For more info visit https://github.com/pulp/plugin_template
 
+import os
 import re
+import subprocess
 import sys
+import tomllib
 from pathlib import Path
-import subprocess
-import os
-import warnings
+
 from github import Github
 
-CHANGELOG_EXTS = [".feature", ".bugfix", ".doc", ".removal", ".misc", ".deprecation"]
+with open("pyproject.toml", "rb") as fp:
+    PYPROJECT_TOML = tomllib.load(fp)
 KEYWORDS = ["fixes", "closes"]
+BLOCKING_REGEX = [
+    r"^DRAFT",
+    r"^WIP",
+    r"^NOMERGE",
+    r"^DO\s*NOT\s*MERGE",
+    r"^EXPERIMENT",
+    r"^FIXUP",
+    r"Apply suggestions from code review",
+]
+try:
+    CHANGELOG_EXTS = [
+        f".{item['directory']}" for item in PYPROJECT_TOML["tool"]["towncrier"]["type"]
+    ]
+except KeyError:
+    CHANGELOG_EXTS = [".feature", ".bugfix", ".doc", ".removal", ".misc"]
+NOISSUE_MARKER = "[noissue]"
 
 sha = sys.argv[1]
 message = subprocess.check_output(["git", "log", "--format=%B", "-n 1", sha]).decode("utf-8")
 
+if NOISSUE_MARKER in message:
+    sys.exit(f"Do not add '{NOISSUE_MARKER}' in the commit message.")
+
+if any((re.match(pattern, message, re.IGNORECASE) for pattern in BLOCKING_REGEX)):
+    sys.exit("This PR is not ready for consumption.")
+
 g = Github(os.environ.get("GITHUB_TOKEN"))
 repo = g.get_repo("pulp/pulpcore")
 
 
-def __check_status(issue):
+def check_status(issue):
     gi = repo.get_issue(int(issue))
     if gi.pull_request:
         sys.exit(f"Error: issue #{issue} is a pull request.")
-    if gi.closed_at and "cherry picked from commit" not in message:
-        warnings.warn(
-            "When backporting, use the -x flag to append a line that says "
-            "'(cherry picked from commit ...)' to the original commit message."
-        )
+    if gi.closed_at:
         sys.exit(f"Error: issue #{issue} is closed.")
 
 
-def __check_changelog(issue):
+def check_changelog(issue):
     matches = list(Path("CHANGES").rglob(f"{issue}.*"))
 
     if len(matches) < 1:
@@ -43,21 +63,20 @@ def __check_changelog(issue):
     for match in matches:
         if match.suffix not in CHANGELOG_EXTS:
             sys.exit(f"Invalid extension for changelog entry '{match}'.")
-        if match.suffix == ".feature" and "cherry picked from commit" in message:
-            sys.exit(f"Can not backport '{match}' as it is a feature.")
 
 
 print("Checking commit message for {sha}.".format(sha=sha[0:7]))
 
 # validate the issue attached to the commit
-regex = r"(?:{keywords})[\s:]+#(\d+)".format(keywords=("|").join(KEYWORDS))
-pattern = re.compile(regex, re.IGNORECASE)
-
-issues = pattern.findall(message)
+issue_regex = r"(?:{keywords})[\s:]+#(\d+)".format(keywords=("|").join(KEYWORDS))
+issues = re.findall(issue_regex, message, re.IGNORECASE)
+cherry_pick_regex = r"^\s*\(cherry picked from commit [0-9a-f]*\)\s*$"
+cherry_pick = re.search(cherry_pick_regex, message, re.MULTILINE)
 
 if issues:
-    for issue in pattern.findall(message):
-        __check_status(issue)
-        __check_changelog(issue)
+    for issue in issues:
+        if not cherry_pick:
+            check_status(issue)
+            check_changelog(issue)
 
 print("Commit message for {sha} passed.".format(sha=sha[0:7]))
diff --git a/.github/template_gitref b/.github/template_gitref
index d1828268ee..5c888ec581 100644
--- a/.github/template_gitref
+++ b/.github/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-413-g9b1257e
+2021.08.26-415-g804d8f6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/check_commit.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/check_commit.sh
index 76bf6cf796..d29e04c468 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/check_commit.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/check_commit.sh
@@ -15,8 +15,4 @@ set -euv
 for SHA in $(curl -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" "$GITHUB_CONTEXT" | jq -r '.[].sha')
 do
   python3 .ci/scripts/validate_commit_message.py "$SHA"
-  VALUE=$?
-  if [ "$VALUE" -gt 0 ]; then
-    exit $VALUE
-  fi
 done