diff --git a/gitpr b/gitpr
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..b726017f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitpr
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/zsh
+# stop if not on master branch of local git repo
+git branch | awk '$1~/\*/{if($2~/master/){exit 0}else{exit 1}}'
+if [[ $? -ne 0 ]] ; then
+    echo "STOP: not on master branch of local git repo"
+    exit 1
+fi
+# check manditory command-line argument, which is the pull request number
+if [[ "$#" -ne 1 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: must specify exactly one command-line argument,"
+    echo "       the pull request number, NUM"
+    exit 1
+fi
+NUM=$1
+# create local branch containing upstream pull request with NUM
+git fetch upstream pull/$NUM/head:pr-$NUM
+git checkout pr-$NUM
+git status
+exit 0
diff --git a/gitsync b/gitsync
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..79a53b0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitsync
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# stop if not on master branch of local git repo
+git branch | awk '$1~/\*/{if($2~/master/){exit 0}else{exit 1}}'
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "STOP: not on master branch of local git repo"
+    exit 1
+fi
+# synchronize local git repo with central GitHub repo
+git fetch upstream
+git merge upstream/master
+git push origin master
+exit 0
+
+# NOTE: to push branch to PR in GitHub repo, do this:
+#  git push upsteam <branch-name>