diff --git a/.github/actions/detect/action.yaml b/.github/actions/detect/action.yaml
index 4a42e01..c4ffd54 100644
--- a/.github/actions/detect/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/detect/action.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: Detect changes
-description:
+description: Note the action can't hande force pushes. Force push should be handled by the caller by finding the merge-base and passing that as before input instead of the github.event.before.
 
 inputs:
   path:
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@ inputs:
   before:
     required: true
     description: before sha
-  is_forced:
-    required: true
-    description: github.event.forced
   base_image_changed:
     required: true
     description: bool true if base image changed, false otherwise
@@ -31,18 +28,18 @@ runs:
   steps:
     - id: changes-push
       name: detect pushed changes
-      if: inputs.is_forced == 'false'
       uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v45
       with:
         files: ${{ inputs.path }}
+        base_sha: ${{ inputs.before }}
 
     - id: changes-branch
       name: detect branch changes
-      if: inputs.is_forced == 'false' &&
-        steps.changes-push.outputs.any_changed == 'false'
+      if: steps.changes-push.outputs.any_changed == 'false'
       uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v45
       with:
         files: ${{ inputs.path }}
+        base_sha: ${{ inputs.default_branch }}
 
     - id: tag
       name: determine tags
diff --git a/.github/determine-tag.sh b/.github/determine-tag.sh
index 03834d5..088be02 100755
--- a/.github/determine-tag.sh
+++ b/.github/determine-tag.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 #! /usr/bin/sh
 
-$is_forced && {
-  printf "tag=%s\n" "$sha"
-  printf "changed=true\n"
-  exit 0
-}
-
 $base_image_changed && {
   printf "tag=%s\n" "$sha"
   printf "changed=true\n"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index 6a1690e..ecad416 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ jobs:
 
       branch_tag: ${{ steps.branch-tag.outputs.branch_tag }}
 
+    env:
+      before: ${{ github.event.before }}
+      sha: ${{ github.sha }}
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -57,6 +61,13 @@ jobs:
           # whatever amount it actually needs.
           fetch-depth: 0
 
+      - name: find proper before if forced
+        if: github.event.forced
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin "$before"
+          base=$(git merge-base "$before" "$sha") || exit 1
+          printf "before=%s" $base >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
       - id: branch-tag
         name: Sanitize ref_name into a valid tag token
         env:
@@ -73,8 +84,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: telemetry/postgres/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: false
 
       - id: changed-mq-base-debian
@@ -83,8 +93,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/container/base-debian/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: false
 
       - id: changed-mq-base-debian-testing
@@ -93,8 +102,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/container/base-debian-testing/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: false
 
       - id: changed-mq-base-haskell
@@ -103,8 +111,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/container/base-haskell/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian.outputs.changed }}
 
       - id: changed-mq-postgres
@@ -113,8 +120,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/container/postgres/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: false
 
       - id: changed-mq-producer-cpp
@@ -123,8 +129,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/cpp/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian.outputs.changed }}
 
       - id: changed-mq-producer-golang
@@ -133,8 +138,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/golang/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian.outputs.changed }}
 
       - id: changed-mq-producer-haskell
@@ -143,8 +147,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: mesage-queue/haskell/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian.outputs.changed }}
 
       - id: changed-mq-producer-python
@@ -153,8 +156,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/python/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian.outputs.changed }}
 
       - id: changed-mq-producer-rust
@@ -163,8 +165,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: message-queue/rust/**
           branch_tag: ${{ env.branch_tag }}
-          before: ${{ github.event.before }}
-          is_forced: ${{ github.event.forced }}
+          before: ${{ env.before }}
           base_image_changed: ${{ steps.changed-mq-base-debian-testing.outputs.changed }}
 
   build-base-debian: