diff --git a/pmb/aportgen/core.py b/pmb/aportgen/core.py
index 30ee94c9..6e6ce9bf 100644
--- a/pmb/aportgen/core.py
+++ b/pmb/aportgen/core.py
@@ -165,18 +165,22 @@ def get_upstream_aport(args, pkgname, arch=None):
     pmb.helpers.git.clone(args, "aports_upstream")
     aports_upstream_path = args.work + "/cache_git/aports_upstream"
 
-    # Checkout branch
-    channel_cfg = pmb.config.pmaports.read_config_channel(args)
-    branch = channel_cfg["branch_aports"]
-    logging.info(f"Checkout aports.git branch: {branch}")
-    if pmb.helpers.run.user(args, ["git", "checkout", branch],
-                            aports_upstream_path, check=False):
-        logging.info("NOTE: run 'pmbootstrap pull' and try again")
-        logging.info("NOTE: if it still fails, your aports.git was cloned with"
-                     " an older version of pmbootstrap, as shallow clone."
-                     " Unshallow it, or remove it and let pmbootstrap clone it"
-                     f" again: {aports_upstream_path}")
-        raise RuntimeError("Branch checkout failed.")
+    if hasattr(args, "fork_alpine_retain_branch") and args.fork_alpine_retain_branch:
+        logging.info("Not changing aports branch as --fork-alpine-retain-branch was "
+                     "used.")
+    else:
+        # Checkout branch
+        channel_cfg = pmb.config.pmaports.read_config_channel(args)
+        branch = channel_cfg["branch_aports"]
+        logging.info(f"Checkout aports.git branch: {branch}")
+        if pmb.helpers.run.user(args, ["git", "checkout", branch],
+                                aports_upstream_path, check=False):
+            logging.info("NOTE: run 'pmbootstrap pull' and try again")
+            logging.info("NOTE: if it still fails, your aports.git was cloned with"
+                         " an older version of pmbootstrap, as shallow clone."
+                         " Unshallow it, or remove it and let pmbootstrap clone it"
+                         f" again: {aports_upstream_path}")
+            raise RuntimeError("Branch checkout failed.")
 
     # Search package
     paths = glob.glob(aports_upstream_path + "/*/" + pkgname)
diff --git a/pmb/parse/arguments.py b/pmb/parse/arguments.py
index 7c739fe2..29218be9 100644
--- a/pmb/parse/arguments.py
+++ b/pmb/parse/arguments.py
@@ -832,9 +832,15 @@ def arguments():
     aportgen = sub.add_parser("aportgen", help="generate a postmarketOS"
                               " specific package build recipe"
                               " (aport/APKBUILD)")
-    aportgen.add_argument("--fork-alpine", help="fork the alpine upstream"
-                          " package", action="store_true",
-                          dest="fork_alpine")
+    aportgen_fork_alpine = aportgen.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    aportgen_fork_alpine.add_argument("--fork-alpine", help="fork the alpine upstream"
+                                      " package", action="store_true",
+                                      dest="fork_alpine")
+    aportgen_fork_alpine.add_argument("--fork-alpine-retain-branch",
+                                      help="fork the alpine upstream, but don't change "
+                                      "branch to match the current channel",
+                                      action="store_true",
+                                      dest="fork_alpine_retain_branch")
     add_packages_arg(aportgen, nargs="+")
 
     # Action: build
@@ -930,6 +936,12 @@ def arguments():
     args = parser.parse_args()
     setattr(args, "from_argparse", copy.deepcopy(args))
     setattr(args.from_argparse, "from_argparse", args.from_argparse)
+
+    if hasattr(args, "fork_alpine_retain_branch") and args.fork_alpine_retain_branch:
+        # fork_alpine_retain_branch largely matches the behaviour of fork_alpine, so
+        # just set fork_alpine here to reduce repetition.
+        args.fork_alpine = args.fork_alpine_retain_branch
+
     pmb.helpers.args.init(args)
 
     if getattr(args, "go_mod_cache", None) is None: