LFrom https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/wiki/StartModMaint: LLightweight library releasehttps://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/wiki/StartModMaint#Lightweightlibraryreleas... Small, simple libraries and simple releases just merge develop into master, tag master, and declare victory. git checkout master git merge --no-ff develop git tag -a 1.56.1 I'm not sure I understand why the merge for a lightweight library release should not be fast forwarded. If the feature branch commits onto develop have been done properly (i.e., cleaned up with an --interactive rebase or --squashed merged onto develop), it should be fine to fast forward them onto master. I thought what you described in "First post-svn conversion merge to master" was the one-time setup of the develop/master branch to allow fast forwarding of the develop branch onto the master. So why to lightweight and heavyweight merging have to be different in regards to fast forwarding? Michael