diff --git a/benchmark.py b/benchmark.py
index c68a9f5de..962cd9d33 100644
--- a/benchmark.py
+++ b/benchmark.py
@@ -44,36 +44,38 @@ def fastDownwardVersion(config):
 
 	return version.strip()
 
-def git(command, cwd):
+def git(command, cwd, enforce = False):
 	stdout, stderr, exitCode = executeCommand(["git"] + command, cwd = cwd)
 
 	if exitCode != 0:
 		print(stderr, file = sys.stderr)
-		raise RuntimeError("git error")
+
+		if enforce:
+			raise RuntimeError("git error")
 
 def initRepo(config):
 	dataDir = config["storage"]["local"]
 
 	# clone repo if not existing
 	if not os.path.isdir(config["storage"]["local"]):
-		git(["clone", config["storage"]["remote"], dataDir], None)
+		git(["clone", config["storage"]["remote"], dataDir], None, enforce = True)
 
 	# default settings
-	git(["config", "--local", "user.name", config["storage"]["userName"]], dataDir)
-	git(["config", "--local", "user.email", config["storage"]["userEMail"]], dataDir)
+	git(["config", "--local", "user.name", config["storage"]["userName"]], dataDir, enforce = True)
+	git(["config", "--local", "user.email", config["storage"]["userEMail"]], dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	if "userSigningKey" in config["storage"]:
-		git(["config", "--local", "user.signingkey", config["storage"]["userSigningKey"]], dataDir)
-		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "true"], dataDir)
+		git(["config", "--local", "user.signingkey", config["storage"]["userSigningKey"]], dataDir, enforce = True)
+		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "true"], dataDir, enforce = True)
 	else:
-		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "false"], dataDir)
+		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "false"], dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	# fetch origin
 	git(["fetch"], cwd = dataDir)
 
 	# pull all branches
 	for key, branch in config["storage"]["branches"].items():
-		git(["checkout", branch], cwd = dataDir)
+		git(["checkout", branch], cwd = dataDir, enforce = True)
 		git(["pull"], cwd = dataDir)
 
 def readBenchmarkConfig(config):
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ def readBenchmarkConfig(config):
 	dataDir = config["storage"]["local"]
 
 	# checkout config branch
-	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["config"]], cwd = dataDir)
+	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["config"]], cwd = dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	# read instance list
 	instancesFile = os.path.join(config["storage"]["local"], "instances.yml")
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ def nextJob(config):
 	dataDir = config["storage"]["local"]
 
 	# checkout results branch
-	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["results"]], cwd = dataDir)
+	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["results"]], cwd = dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	configurations = benchmarkConfig["configurations"]["configurations"]
 	instances = benchmarkConfig["instances"]
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ def writeStatus(message, config):
 	dataDir = config["storage"]["local"]
 
 	# checkout status branch
-	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["status"]], cwd = dataDir)
+	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["status"]], cwd = dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	statusFilename = os.path.join(dataDir, "status.log")
 
@@ -159,8 +161,8 @@ def writeStatus(message, config):
 	with open(statusFilename, "w") as statusFile:
 		print(time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z") + "\t" + message + "\n" + "".join(content), file = statusFile, end = "")
 
-	git(["add", "status.log"], dataDir)
-	git(["commit", "-m Update status: " + message], dataDir)
+	git(["add", "status.log"], dataDir, enforce = True)
+	git(["commit", "-m Update status: " + message], dataDir, enforce = True)
 	git(["push"], dataDir)
 
 def runJob(configuration, instance, config):
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ def runJob(configuration, instance, config):
 	inputFiles = inputFilenames(instance, config)
 
 	# checkout results branch
-	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["results"]], cwd = dataDir)
+	git(["checkout", config["storage"]["branches"]["results"]], cwd = dataDir, enforce = True)
 
 	command = \
 	[
@@ -227,8 +229,8 @@ def runJob(configuration, instance, config):
 
 		print(yaml.dump(environment, default_flow_style = False), file = environmentFile)
 
-	git(["add", outputFiles["outputFile"], outputFiles["errorFile"], outputFiles["environmentFile"]], dataDir)
-	git(["commit", "-m Add benchmark result " + jobName], dataDir)
+	git(["add", outputFiles["outputFile"], outputFiles["errorFile"], outputFiles["environmentFile"]], dataDir, enforce = True)
+	git(["commit", "-m Add benchmark result " + jobName], dataDir, enforce = True)
 	git(["push"], dataDir)
 
 	if exitCode != 0: