# How to deal with stale branches?
**URL:** https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** development
**Created:** [April 26, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278 "2018-04-26T16:06:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Vlad\_Grigorescu](https://community.zeek.org/u/Vlad_Grigorescu)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278/1 "2018-04-26T16:06:02Z")
I have a couple of branches that, for whatever reason, aren’t headed for a merge request into master. The branches were left around for reference, in case someone wanted to pick up and continue the work. However, this too now looks very unlikely, as some of these are several years old, and of questionable value at this point.
I’m torn between deleting the branches, in an effort to not clog up git with unneeded branches, and leaving them around or perhaps archiving them somewhere, in order to not completely lose the work in case it’s of value to someone down the road.
I’m curious if anyone has thoughts on the best way to proceed.
–Vlad
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### Author:  [@Jon\_Siwek](https://community.zeek.org/u/Jon_Siwek)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278/2 "2018-04-26T20:15:49Z")
Maybe delete the branch from the official git repo and push it to your own github fork.
- Jon
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### Author:  [@Vlad\_Grigorescu](https://community.zeek.org/u/Vlad_Grigorescu)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278/3 "2018-04-27T03:01:05Z")
Yeah, that’s certainly one option, but I think it’d be hard for people to find.
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### Author:  [@robin](https://community.zeek.org/u/robin)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278/4 "2018-04-27T15:40:07Z")
Personally I don't really mind such branches sticking around for
reference purposes. We have plenty stale branches anyways all over, it
would probably be more to clean up those (looking at myself there, too 🙂
Robin
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.zeek.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/how-to-deal-with-stale-branches/5278/5 "2022-05-06T15:45:44Z")