diff --git a/clean_inventory.sh b/clean_inventory.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b0dd7e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clean_inventory.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env bash
+set -u
+
+lockfile=/opt/ccc-manager/commit.lock
+inventory_dir=${CCC_INVENTORY_DIR:-/opt/ccc-inventory}
+
+function cleanup() {
+    rm -f "$lockfile"
+}
+
+function error() {
+    echo "$1"
+    cleanup
+    exit 1
+}
+
+if [[ -e "$lockfile" ]]; then
+    error 'Could not acquire lock. Try again.'
+fi
+touch "$lockfile"
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+cd "$inventory_dir" || error "Inventory directory not found: $inventory_dir"
+
+git rebase --abort >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+git merge --abort >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+
+upstream=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name '@{u}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [[ -z "$upstream" ]]; then
+    branch=${CCC_INVENTORY_BRANCH:-$(git branch --show-current)}
+    if [[ -z "$branch" ]]; then
+        error 'Could not determine inventory branch to reset'
+    fi
+    upstream="origin/$branch"
+fi
+
+git fetch --prune || error 'Could not fetch remote changes'
+git reset --hard "$upstream" || error "Could not reset inventory to $upstream"
+git clean -fd || error 'Could not remove untracked inventory files'
+
+echo "Inventory reset to $upstream"
+cleanup
+trap - EXIT
diff --git a/commit.py b/commit.py
index 68a925e..8b23418 100644
--- a/commit.py
+++ b/commit.py
@@ -58,10 +58,26 @@ def process_diff(original_text, save_fn, filename):
 container_diff = process_diff(st.session_state['_container_plaintext'], save_containers, container_filename)
 
 confirm_discard = confirmation('Confirm discard')
+confirm_clean_clone = confirmation('Confirm clean inventory reset')
+
 def discard():
     load_users(st.session_state)
     load_containers(st.session_state)
 
+def clean_inventory():
+    p = subprocess.run(['bash', 'clean_inventory.sh'], capture_output=True)
+    if p.returncode == 0:
+        discard()
+        st.rerun()
+
+    out = p.stdout.decode().splitlines() + p.stderr.decode().splitlines()
+    st.write(':red[Could not reset the inventory repository.]')
+    st.divider()
+    st.html(f'''
+        {conv.produce_headers()}
+        <pre class='ansi2html-content'>{''.join(map(convert, out))}</pre>
+    ''')
+
 @st.dialog('Commit changes', width='large')
 def commit():
     with st.form('commit-form'):
@@ -75,16 +91,28 @@ def commit():
             # Don't discard if script failed as that would import uncommitted changes and no longer show them
             # The changes which we saved will get reverted from the file upon rerun
             if p.returncode == 0:
+                st.session_state.pop('_commit_error_out', None)
                 discard()
                 st.rerun()
             else:
-                out = p.stdout.decode().splitlines()
-                st.write(':red[Could not pull with rebase. Remove any changes causing a merge conflict.]')
-                st.divider()
-                st.html(f'''
-                    {conv.produce_headers()}
-                    <pre class='ansi2html-content'>{''.join(map(convert, out))}</pre>
-                ''')
+                st.session_state['_commit_error_out'] = (
+                    p.stdout.decode().splitlines() + p.stderr.decode().splitlines()
+                )
+
+    if '_commit_error_out' in st.session_state:
+        out = st.session_state['_commit_error_out']
+        st.write(':red[Could not save changes because the inventory repository changed in a conflicting way.]')
+        st.write('The application tried to update the local inventory before applying your changes. If the conflict cannot be resolved automatically, reset the local inventory to a clean copy from the remote and re-enter your changes.')
+        if st.button('Clean git clone / discard local inventory changes'):
+            confirm_clean_clone(
+                'This will discard all local inventory changes and reset the inventory repository to the remote branch. Continue?',
+                clean_inventory,
+            )
+        st.divider()
+        st.html(f'''
+            {conv.produce_headers()}
+            <pre class='ansi2html-content'>{''.join(map(convert, out))}</pre>
+        ''')
 
 if st.session_state.diff_size > 0:
     with st.container(horizontal=True):
diff --git a/commit.sh b/commit.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index c88ab69..3749f28
--- a/commit.sh
+++ b/commit.sh
@@ -1,38 +1,69 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env bash
+set -u
+
 lockfile=/opt/ccc-manager/commit.lock
+inventory_dir=${CCC_INVENTORY_DIR:-/opt/ccc-inventory}
+
+function cleanup() {
+    rm -f "$lockfile"
+}
 
 function error() {
-    echo $1
-    rm -f $lockfile
+    echo "$1"
+    cleanup
     exit 1
 }
 
-if [[ -e $lockfile ]]; then
+function reset_worktree() {
+    git rebase --abort >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    git merge --abort >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    git reset --hard HEAD >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+}
+
+if [[ -e "$lockfile" ]]; then
     error 'Could not acquire lock. Try again.'
 fi
-touch $lockfile
+touch "$lockfile"
+trap cleanup EXIT
 
 patchfile=$1
-sed -e 's/\x1b\[[0-9;]*m//g' -i $patchfile
+sed -e 's/\x1b\[[0-9;]*m//g' -i "$patchfile"
 
-if [[ -z $2 ]]; then
+if [[ -z ${2:-} ]]; then
     error 'Commit message not provided'
 fi
 
-cd /opt/ccc-inventory/
+cd "$inventory_dir" || error "Inventory directory not found: $inventory_dir"
+
+upstream=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name '@{u}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [[ -n "$upstream" ]]; then
+    git fetch --prune || error 'Could not fetch remote changes'
+    git rebase "$upstream" || {
+        reset_worktree
+        error 'Could not synchronize with remote before applying changes'
+    }
+else
+    git pull --rebase || error 'Could not pull with rebase'
+fi
+
+git apply --3way "$patchfile" || {
+    git diff --diff-filter=U --color || true
+    reset_worktree
+    error 'Patch failed'
+}
 
-git apply $patchfile || error 'Patch failed'
 git add inventory/group_vars/ccc-cluster/{user-list,user-containers}.yml
-git commit -m "$2"
+git commit -m "$2" || error 'Commit failed'
 
 git pull --rebase
 STATUS=$?
 if [[ $STATUS -ne 0 ]]; then
-    git diff --diff-filter=U --color
-    git rebase --abort
-    git reset --hard HEAD~1
+    git diff --diff-filter=U --color || true
+    git rebase --abort >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    git reset --hard HEAD~1 >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
     error 'Rebase not successful'
 fi
 
-git push
-rm $lockfile
+git push || error 'Push failed'
+cleanup
+trap - EXIT