diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.7.1 (2025-06-07)
+- Merge: prompt even with --merge (--no-prompt) when branch unmergeable
+- parallel: restore package heading for merge
+- parallel: fix error for -F/-E when run from outside dist-git
+- createKojiSidetag: needs krbTicket
+
 ## 1.7 (2025-06-05)
 - support epel10.x minors with fedora-releases-0.3.0
 - 'merge': now done from origin for consistency
diff --git a/fbrnch.cabal b/fbrnch.cabal
--- a/fbrnch.cabal
+++ b/fbrnch.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:       2.0
 name:                fbrnch
-version:             1.7
+version:             1.7.1
 synopsis:            Fedora packager tool to build package branches
 description:
             fbrnch (fedora branch or "f-branch" for short) is
diff --git a/src/Cmd/Merge.hs b/src/Cmd/Merge.hs
--- a/src/Cmd/Merge.hs
+++ b/src/Cmd/Merge.hs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
     unless dryrun $
       -- FIXME merge from origin by default not local branch
       git_ "merge" ["--quiet", ref]
-mergeBranch dryrun nofetch build noprompt showall pkg (False,unmerged) from br = do
+mergeBranch dryrun nofetch build _noprompt showall pkg (False,unmerged) from br = do
   when (nofetch && not build) $ putPkgBrnchHdr pkg br
   putStrLn $ showBranch from +-+ "branch is not directly mergeable:"
   displayCommits False unmerged
@@ -100,9 +100,7 @@
   unless (null unpushed) $ do
     putStrLn "Local commits:"
     displayCommits showall unpushed
-  mmerge <-
-    if noprompt then return Nothing
-    else conflictPrompt unmerged $ "Press Enter to skip merge" ++ (if build then " and build" else "") ++ "; or give ref or 'HEAD' to attempt merge"
+  mmerge <- conflictPrompt unmerged $ "Press Enter to skip merge" ++ (if build then " and build" else "") ++ "; or give ref or 'HEAD' to attempt merge"
   -- ensure still on same branch!
   gitSwitchBranch (RelBranch br)
   whenJust mmerge $ \ ref ->
diff --git a/src/Cmd/Mock.hs b/src/Cmd/Mock.hs
--- a/src/Cmd/Mock.hs
+++ b/src/Cmd/Mock.hs
@@ -119,19 +119,20 @@
                  "\nalready installed!\n"
             where
               doInstallRPMs rpms = do
-                -- FIXME show source NVR (eg not pandoc-common)
-                whenJust (headMay rpms) $
-                  putStrLn . showNVR . dropArch . readNVRA
-                let nvras = rpmsToNVRAs rpms
-                -- FIXME: prefix = fromMaybe (nvrName nvr) mprefix
-                decided <- -- decideRPMs yes False mexisting select pkg nvras
-                  decideRPMs Yes False Nothing selectDefault pkg nvras
-                -- FIXME dryrun and debug
-                -- FIXME return Bool?
-                let verrel = showPkgVerRel . readNVRA $ head rpms
-                    results = "results" </> verrel
-                forM_ ["noarch", "x86_64"] $ \arch -> do
-                  let link = results </> arch
-                  unlessM (doesDirectoryExist link) $
-                    createFileLink "." link
-                installRPMs False False Nothing Yes $ groupOnArch results decided
+                whenJust (headMay rpms) $ \rpm -> do
+                  let nvra = readNVRA rpm
+                  -- FIXME show source NVR (eg not pandoc-common)
+                  putStrLn $ (showNVR . dropArch) nvra
+                  let nvras = rpmsToNVRAs rpms
+                  -- FIXME: prefix = fromMaybe (nvrName nvr) mprefix
+                  decided <- -- decideRPMs yes False mexisting select pkg nvras
+                    decideRPMs Yes False Nothing selectDefault pkg nvras
+                  -- FIXME dryrun and debug
+                  -- FIXME return Bool?
+                  let verrel = showPkgVerRel nvra
+                      results = "results" </> verrel
+                  forM_ ["noarch", "x86_64"] $ \arch -> do
+                    let link = results </> arch
+                    unlessM (doesDirectoryExist link) $
+                      createFileLink "." link
+                  installRPMs False False Nothing Yes $ groupOnArch results decided
diff --git a/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs b/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
--- a/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
+++ b/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@
       _ -> case breq of
              Branches [] -> error' "please specify a branch"
              Branches _ -> listOfBranches True True breq
-             _ -> listOfBranches True True breq
+             _ -> do
+               distgit <- isPkgGitSshRepo
+               listOfBranches distgit True breq
   when (null branches) $
     error' "Please specify at least one branch"
   when (isJust (maybeTarget msidetagTarget) && length branches > 1) $
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@
         when (mmerge /= Just False) $
         withExistingDirectory p $ do
         pkg <- getPackageName p
+        putPkgBrnchHdr pkg rbr
         mergeNewerBranch pkg rbr
         getDynSourcesMacros $ packageSpec pkg
       distopts <- distRpmOptions rbr
diff --git a/src/Koji.hs b/src/Koji.hs
--- a/src/Koji.hs
+++ b/src/Koji.hs
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@
     if dryrun
     then return $ "Side tag '" ++ buildtag ++ "'"
     else do
+      krbTicket
       ls <- lines <$> fedpkg "request-side-tag" ["--base-tag",  buildtag]
       case ls of
         [] -> error' "no output from request-side-tag"