diff --git a/funcs_scripts.php b/funcs_scripts.php
index e972f87..d5159aa 100644
--- a/funcs_scripts.php
+++ b/funcs_scripts.php
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ function is_module()
         return false;
     }
 
+    if (is_gha_repository()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     $contents = read_file('composer.json');
     $json = json_decode($contents);
     if (is_null($json)) {
@@ -158,7 +162,7 @@ function is_module()
     }
 
     // config isn't technically a Silverstripe CMS module, but we treat it like one.
-    if ($json->name === 'silverstripe/config') {
+    if (($json->name ?? '') === 'silverstripe/config') {
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -238,6 +242,7 @@ function is_docs()
 
 /**
  * Determine if the module being processed is a gha-* repository e.g. gha-ci
+ * aka "WORKFLOW"
  *
  * Example usage:
  * is_gha_repository()
@@ -254,6 +259,56 @@ function is_gha_repository()
     );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Determine if the module being processed is "TOOLING"
+ *
+ * Example usage:
+ * is_gha_repository()
+ */
+function is_tooling()
+{
+    global $GITHUB_REF;
+    return in_array(
+        $GITHUB_REF,
+        array_column(
+            MetaData::getAllRepositoryMetaData()[MetaData::CATEGORY_TOOLING],
+            'github'
+        )
+    );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Determine if the module being processed is "MISC"
+ *
+ * Example usage:
+ * is_gha_repository()
+ */
+function is_misc()
+{
+    global $GITHUB_REF;
+    return in_array(
+        $GITHUB_REF,
+        array_column(
+            MetaData::getAllRepositoryMetaData()[MetaData::CATEGORY_MISC],
+            'github'
+        )
+    );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Determine if the module being processed has a wildcard major version mapping
+ * in silverstripe/supported-modules repositories.json
+ *
+ * Example usage:
+ * has_wildcard_major_version_mapping()
+ */
+function has_wildcard_major_version_mapping()
+{
+    global $GITHUB_REF;
+    $repoData = MetaData::getMetaDataForRepository($GITHUB_REF);
+    return array_key_exists('*', $repoData['majorVersionMapping']);
+}
+
 /**
  * Return the module name without the account e.g. silverstripe/silverstripe-admin with return silverstripe-admin
  *
@@ -358,3 +413,16 @@ function predictable_random_int($scriptName, $max, $offset = 0): int
     $remainder = $sum % ($max + 1);
     return $remainder + $offset;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Determine if the current brain is either 1 or 1.2 style
+ */
+function current_branch_is_semver()
+{
+    global $MODULE_DIR;
+    $currentBranch = cmd('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', $MODULE_DIR);
+    if (preg_match('#^(pulls/)?([0-9]+)(\.[0-9]+)?(/|$)#', $currentBranch)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/funcs_utils.php b/funcs_utils.php
index 5a92e13..38d88bc 100644
--- a/funcs_utils.php
+++ b/funcs_utils.php
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ function current_branch_cms_major(
         return MetaData::HIGHEST_STABLE_CMS_MAJOR;
     }
 
+    $contents = '';
     if ($composerJson) {
         $contents = $composerJson;
     } elseif (check_file_exists('composer.json')) {
@@ -294,8 +295,10 @@ function current_branch_cms_major(
     }
     $composerJson = json_decode($contents);
     if (is_null($composerJson)) {
-        $lastError = json_last_error();
-        error("Could not parse from composer.json - last error was $lastError");
+        if (!check_file_exists('composer.json') && !is_misc()) {
+            $lastError = json_last_error();
+            error("Could not parse from composer.json - last error was $lastError");
+        }
     }
 
     $repoData = MetaData::getMetaDataForRepository($GITHUB_REF);
diff --git a/scripts/cms-any/dispatch-ci.php b/scripts/cms-any/dispatch-ci.php
index eb0ec48..a9afb3a 100644
--- a/scripts/cms-any/dispatch-ci.php
+++ b/scripts/cms-any/dispatch-ci.php
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@
 $dispatchCiPath = '.github/workflows/dispatch-ci.yml';
 $ciPath = '.github/workflows/ci.yml';
 $shouldHaveDispatchCi = (is_module() || is_composer_plugin()) && !is_docs() && !is_gha_repository();
+// If module non has_wildcard_major_version_mapping then dispatch-ci.yml should always be present
+if (!has_wildcard_major_version_mapping()) {
+  $shouldHaveDispatchCi = true;
+}
 
 if ($shouldHaveDispatchCi) {
   if (check_file_exists($ciPath)) {
diff --git a/scripts/cms-any/merge-ups.php b/scripts/cms-any/merge-ups.php
index ea6a49e..4a93ff3 100644
--- a/scripts/cms-any/merge-ups.php
+++ b/scripts/cms-any/merge-ups.php
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@
     rename_file_if_exists('.github/workflows/merge-ups.yml', '.github/workflows/merge-up.yml');
 }
 
-if (!module_is_recipe() && !is_meta_repo()) {
-  write_file_even_if_exists('.github/workflows/merge-up.yml', $content);
+if (current_branch_is_semver() && !module_is_recipe()) {
+    write_file_even_if_exists('.github/workflows/merge-up.yml', $content);
+} else {
+    // remove any merge-up.yml that was previously added though shouldn't be there
+    delete_file_if_exists('.github/workflows/merge-up.yml');
 }
diff --git a/scripts/cms-any/update-js.php b/scripts/cms-any/update-js.php
index 26e5246..9577b08 100644
--- a/scripts/cms-any/update-js.php
+++ b/scripts/cms-any/update-js.php
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@
         uses: silverstripe/gha-update-js@v1
 EOT;
 
-if (check_file_exists('package.json')) {
+if (check_file_exists('package.json') && check_file_exists('yarn.lock')) {
     write_file_even_if_exists('.github/workflows/update-js.yml', $content);
 }
diff --git a/scripts/cms5/phpstan.php b/scripts/cms5/phpstan.php
index d0758bc..4ee155e 100644
--- a/scripts/cms5/phpstan.php
+++ b/scripts/cms5/phpstan.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 
 // Only valid for non-theme modules
-if (!is_module() || is_theme() || module_is_recipe()) {
+if (!is_module() || is_theme() || module_is_recipe() || is_tooling()) {
     return;
 }
 
diff --git a/update_command.php b/update_command.php
index e4ad904..f50b518 100644
--- a/update_command.php
+++ b/update_command.php
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@
         }
         cmd("git remote add pr-remote $prOrigin", $MODULE_DIR);
 
+        $useDefaultBranch = has_wildcard_major_version_mapping();
+
         if ($input->getOption('update-prs')) {
             // checkout latest existing pr branch
             cmd('git fetch pr-remote', $MODULE_DIR);
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@
             // example branch name: pulls/5/module-standardiser-1691550112
             $allBranches = array_map('trim', $allBranches);
             $allBranches = array_filter($allBranches, function($branch) {
-                return preg_match('#^pr\-remote/pulls/[0-9\.]+/module\-standardiser\-[0-9]{10}$#', $branch);
+                return preg_match('#^pr\-remote/pulls/.+?/module\-standardiser\-[0-9]{10}$#', $branch);
             });
             if (empty($allBranches)) {
                 warning("Could not find an existing PR branch for $repo - skipping");
@@ -108,11 +110,12 @@
             $defaultBranch = cmd($cmd, $MODULE_DIR);
             cmd("git checkout $defaultBranch", $MODULE_DIR);
 
-            if (is_meta_repo()) {
-                $branchToCheckout = $allBranches[0];
+            $currentBranch = cmd('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', $MODULE_DIR);
+
+            // checkout the branch to run scripts over
+            if ($useDefaultBranch) {
+                $branchToCheckout = $currentBranch;
             } else {
-                // checkout the branch to run scripts over
-                $currentBranch = cmd('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', $MODULE_DIR);
                 // ensure that we're on a standard next-minor style branch
                 if (!ctype_digit($currentBranch)) {
                     $tmp = array_filter($allBranches, fn($branch) => ctype_digit($branch));
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@
         cmd("git checkout $branchToCheckout", $MODULE_DIR);
 
         // ensure that this branch actually supports the cmsMajor we're targetting
-        if ($branchOption !== 'github-default' && current_branch_cms_major() !== $cmsMajor) {
+        if (!$useDefaultBranch && $branchOption !== 'github-default' && current_branch_cms_major() !== $cmsMajor) {
             error("Branch $branchToCheckout does not support CMS major version $cmsMajor");
         }