diff --git a/kas/repos.py b/kas/repos.py
index 4f74f4b..5192c2b 100644
--- a/kas/repos.py
+++ b/kas/repos.py
@@ -247,9 +247,14 @@ class RepoImpl(Repo):
         """
             Applies patches to a repository asynchronously.
         """
-        if self.operations_disabled:
+        if self.operations_disabled or not self._patches:
             return 0
 
+        (retc, _) = yield from run_cmd_async(self.prepare_patches_cmd(),
+                                             cwd=self.path)
+        if retc:
+            return retc
+
         my_patches = []
 
         for patch in self._patches:
@@ -289,9 +294,6 @@ class RepoImpl(Repo):
                               patch['id'])
                 return 1
 
-        if len(my_patches) == 0:
-            return 0
-
         for path in my_patches:
             cmd = self.apply_patches_file_cmd(path)
             (retc, output) = yield from run_cmd_async(cmd, cwd=self.path)
@@ -359,6 +361,10 @@ class GitRepo(RepoImpl):
         return ['git', 'checkout', '-q',
                 '{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
 
+    def prepare_patches_cmd(self):
+        return ['git', 'checkout', '-q', '-B',
+                'patched-{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
+
     def apply_patches_file_cmd(self, path):
         return ['git', 'apply', path]
 
@@ -395,6 +401,10 @@ class MercurialRepo(RepoImpl):
     def checkout_cmd(self):
         return ['hg', 'checkout', '{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
 
+    def prepare_patches_cmd(self):
+        return ['hg', 'branch', '-f',
+                'patched-{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
+
     def apply_patches_file_cmd(self, path):
         return ['hg', 'import', '--no-commit', path]