-#these are all shots in the dark.
-# use our careful updater!
-
-git remote update
-
-# get everything from the origin.
-git fetch --all
-
-# merge the changes in.
-git merge --no-ff --all
-
-# turn off occasionally troublesome setting before checkin.
-unset GIT_SSH
-
-# send the little boat down the stream to the dependent repository.
-git push downstream master
-test_or_die "running the git push downstream"
+# send our little boat down the stream to the dependent repository.
+git push --tags downstream master
+exit_on_error "running the git push downstream master"