diff --git a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
index 89f098a..8fc7fff 100644
--- a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
+++ b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@
     import oe.patch
     if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(repodir, '.git')):
         bb.process.run('git init', cwd=repodir)
+        bb.process.run('git config --local gc.autodetach 0', cwd=repodir)
         bb.process.run('git add .', cwd=repodir)
         commit_cmd = ['git']
         oe.patch.GitApplyTree.gitCommandUserOptions(commit_cmd, d=d)
diff --git a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/deploy.py b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/deploy.py
index 886004b..f345f31 100644
--- a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/deploy.py
+++ b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/deploy.py
@@ -211,6 +211,11 @@
         if not args.show_status:
             extraoptions += ' -q'
 
+        scp_sshexec = ''
+        ssh_sshexec = 'ssh'
+        if args.ssh_exec:
+            scp_sshexec = "-S %s" % args.ssh_exec
+            ssh_sshexec = args.ssh_exec
         scp_port = ''
         ssh_port = ''
         if args.port:
@@ -238,7 +243,7 @@
                 for fpath, fsize in filelist:
                     f.write('%s %d\n' % (fpath, fsize))
             # Copy them to the target
-            ret = subprocess.call("scp %s %s %s/* %s:%s" % (scp_port, extraoptions, tmpdir, args.target, os.path.dirname(tmpscript)), shell=True)
+            ret = subprocess.call("scp %s %s %s %s/* %s:%s" % (scp_sshexec, scp_port, extraoptions, tmpdir, args.target, os.path.dirname(tmpscript)), shell=True)
             if ret != 0:
                 raise DevtoolError('Failed to copy script to %s - rerun with -s to '
                                 'get a complete error message' % args.target)
@@ -246,7 +251,7 @@
             shutil.rmtree(tmpdir)
 
         # Now run the script
-        ret = exec_fakeroot(rd, 'tar cf - . | ssh  %s %s %s \'sh %s %s %s %s\'' % (ssh_port, extraoptions, args.target, tmpscript, args.recipename, destdir, tmpfilelist), cwd=recipe_outdir, shell=True)
+        ret = exec_fakeroot(rd, 'tar cf - . | %s  %s %s %s \'sh %s %s %s %s\'' % (ssh_sshexec, ssh_port, extraoptions, args.target, tmpscript, args.recipename, destdir, tmpfilelist), cwd=recipe_outdir, shell=True)
         if ret != 0:
             raise DevtoolError('Deploy failed - rerun with -s to get a complete '
                             'error message')
@@ -276,6 +281,11 @@
     if not args.show_status:
         extraoptions += ' -q'
 
+    scp_sshexec = ''
+    ssh_sshexec = 'ssh'
+    if args.ssh_exec:
+        scp_sshexec = "-S %s" % args.ssh_exec
+        ssh_sshexec = args.ssh_exec
     scp_port = ''
     ssh_port = ''
     if args.port:
@@ -292,7 +302,7 @@
         with open(os.path.join(tmpdir, os.path.basename(tmpscript)), 'w') as f:
             f.write(shellscript)
         # Copy it to the target
-        ret = subprocess.call("scp %s %s %s/* %s:%s" % (scp_port, extraoptions, tmpdir, args.target, os.path.dirname(tmpscript)), shell=True)
+        ret = subprocess.call("scp %s %s %s %s/* %s:%s" % (scp_sshexec, scp_port, extraoptions, tmpdir, args.target, os.path.dirname(tmpscript)), shell=True)
         if ret != 0:
             raise DevtoolError('Failed to copy script to %s - rerun with -s to '
                                 'get a complete error message' % args.target)
@@ -300,7 +310,7 @@
         shutil.rmtree(tmpdir)
 
     # Now run the script
-    ret = subprocess.call('ssh %s %s %s \'sh %s %s\'' % (ssh_port, extraoptions, args.target, tmpscript, args.recipename), shell=True)
+    ret = subprocess.call('%s %s %s %s \'sh %s %s\'' % (ssh_sshexec, ssh_port, extraoptions, args.target, tmpscript, args.recipename), shell=True)
     if ret != 0:
         raise DevtoolError('Undeploy failed - rerun with -s to get a complete '
                            'error message')
@@ -324,6 +334,7 @@
     parser_deploy.add_argument('-n', '--dry-run', help='List files to be deployed only', action='store_true')
     parser_deploy.add_argument('-p', '--no-preserve', help='Do not preserve existing files', action='store_true')
     parser_deploy.add_argument('--no-check-space', help='Do not check for available space before deploying', action='store_true')
+    parser_deploy.add_argument('-e', '--ssh-exec', help='Executable to use in place of ssh')
     parser_deploy.add_argument('-P', '--port', help='Specify port to use for connection to the target')
 
     strip_opts = parser_deploy.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=False)
@@ -346,5 +357,6 @@
     parser_undeploy.add_argument('-s', '--show-status', help='Show progress/status output', action='store_true')
     parser_undeploy.add_argument('-a', '--all', help='Undeploy all recipes deployed on the target', action='store_true')
     parser_undeploy.add_argument('-n', '--dry-run', help='List files to be undeployed only', action='store_true')
+    parser_undeploy.add_argument('-e', '--ssh-exec', help='Executable to use in place of ssh')
     parser_undeploy.add_argument('-P', '--port', help='Specify port to use for connection to the target')
     parser_undeploy.set_defaults(func=undeploy)
diff --git a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
index b7d4d47..ea09bbf 100644
--- a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
+++ b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
@@ -849,9 +849,7 @@
             if bb.data.inherits_class('kernel', rd):
                 f.write('SRCTREECOVEREDTASKS = "do_validate_branches do_kernel_checkout '
                         'do_fetch do_unpack do_kernel_configme do_kernel_configcheck"\n')
-                f.write('\ndo_patch() {\n'
-                        '    :\n'
-                        '}\n')
+                f.write('\ndo_patch[noexec] = "1"\n')
                 f.write('\ndo_configure_append() {\n'
                         '    cp ${B}/.config ${S}/.config.baseline\n'
                         '    ln -sfT ${B}/.config ${S}/.config.new\n'
diff --git a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/upgrade.py b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/upgrade.py
index 2020077..75e765e 100644
--- a/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/upgrade.py
+++ b/poky/scripts/lib/devtool/upgrade.py
@@ -600,6 +600,20 @@
         tinfoil.shutdown()
     return 0
 
+def check_upgrade_status(args, config, basepath, workspace):
+    if not args.recipe:
+        logger.info("Checking the upstream status for all recipes may take a few minutes")
+    results = oe.recipeutils.get_recipe_upgrade_status(args.recipe)
+    for result in results:
+        # pn, update_status, current, latest, maintainer, latest_commit, no_update_reason
+        if args.all or result[1] != 'MATCH':
+            logger.info("{:25} {:15} {:15} {} {} {}".format(   result[0],
+                                                               result[2],
+                                                               result[1] if result[1] != 'UPDATE' else (result[3] if not result[3].endswith("new-commits-available") else "new commits"),
+                                                               result[4],
+                                                               result[5] if result[5] != 'N/A' else "",
+                                                               "cannot be updated due to: %s" %(result[6]) if result[6] else ""))
+
 def register_commands(subparsers, context):
     """Register devtool subcommands from this plugin"""
 
@@ -627,3 +641,10 @@
                                                   group='info')
     parser_latest_version.add_argument('recipename', help='Name of recipe to query (just name - no version, path or extension)')
     parser_latest_version.set_defaults(func=latest_version)
+
+    parser_check_upgrade_status = subparsers.add_parser('check-upgrade-status', help="Report upgradability for multiple (or all) recipes",
+                                                        description="Prints a table of recipes together with versions currently provided by recipes, and latest upstream versions, when there is a later version available",
+                                                        group='info')
+    parser_check_upgrade_status.add_argument('recipe', help='Name of the recipe to report (omit to report upgrade info for all recipes)', nargs='*')
+    parser_check_upgrade_status.add_argument('--all', '-a', help='Show all recipes, not just recipes needing upgrade', action="store_true")
+    parser_check_upgrade_status.set_defaults(func=check_upgrade_status)