diff --git a/.git_pre_commit_hook.sh b/.git_pre_commit_hook.sh
index 49b9117e..505b5f5e 100755
--- a/.git_pre_commit_hook.sh
+++ b/.git_pre_commit_hook.sh
@@ -18,4 +18,10 @@ then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ $BRANCH_NAME == "public_beta" ]
+then
+	echo -e $ABORT "Commiting to public_beta is prohibited."
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 exit 0
diff --git a/script/git-publish.sh b/script/git-publish.sh
index f93ca1e1..33cd0e27 100755
--- a/script/git-publish.sh
+++ b/script/git-publish.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@ INFO="\033[33mInfo:\033[00m"
 
 echo -e $INFO "Checking index"
 
+#set branch to commit to
+if [[ $# -gt 0 ]]
+then
+	PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH=$1
+else
+	PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH="master"
+fi
+echo -e $INFO  "branch to commit: $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH"
+
 # check clean index
 if [[ -n $(git diff HEAD) ]]
 then
@@ -25,44 +34,44 @@ then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-# check if on master
-if [ $BRANCH_NAME == "master" ]
+# check if on $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH
+if [ $BRANCH_NAME == $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH ]
 then
-	echo -e $ABORT "You are on master. Use this script only from a feature branch."
+	echo -e $ABORT "You are on $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH. Use this script only from a feature branch."
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-git checkout -q master
+git checkout -q $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH
 git remote update &>/dev/null
 
-echo -e $INFO "Checking master"
+echo -e $INFO "Checking $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH"
 
-# check if master is up to date
-if [[ -n $(git diff origin/master) ]]
+# check if $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH is up to date
+if [[ -n $(git diff origin/$PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH) ]]
 then
-	echo -e $ABORT "Your master is not up-to-date. Run 'git-sync-master.sh' to update master and rebase $BRANCH_NAME."
+	echo -e $ABORT "Your $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH is not up-to-date. Run 'git-sync.sh' to update $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH and rebase $BRANCH_NAME."
 	git checkout -q $BRANCH_NAME
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-MASTER_HEAD_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
-BASE_COMMIT=$(git merge-base $BRANCH_NAME master)
+PUBLIC_BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+BASE_COMMIT=$(git merge-base $BRANCH_NAME $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH)
 
 git checkout -q $BRANCH_NAME
 
 BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
 
 # check if feature has commits
-if [ $BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT == $MASTER_HEAD_COMMIT ]
+if [ $BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT == $PUBLIC_BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT ]
 then
 	echo -e $ABORT "Your feature branch has no commits."
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-# check if feature is not behind master
-if [ $BASE_COMMIT != $MASTER_HEAD_COMMIT ]
+# check if feature is not behind $PUBLIC_BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT
+if [ $BASE_COMMIT != $PUBLIC_BRANCH_HEAD_COMMIT ]
 then
-	echo -e $ABORT "Your feature branch is behind master. Use 'git rebase master' to update your feature branch."
+	echo -e $ABORT "Your feature branch is behind $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH. Use 'git rebase $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH' to update your feature branch."
 	exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -87,19 +96,19 @@ then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-echo -e $INFO "Rebasing on master"
-git checkout -q master
+echo -e $INFO "Rebasing on $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH"
+git checkout -q $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH
 git rebase -q $PUBLISH_BRANCH_NAME
 git branch -q -d $PUBLISH_BRANCH_NAME
 
-echo -e $INFO "Uploading to origin master"
-git push origin master
+echo -e $INFO "Uploading to origin $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH"
+git push origin $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH
 
 if [ $? != 0 ]
 then
 	git reset --hard -q HEAD^
 	git checkout -q $BRANCH_NAME
-	echo -e $ABORT "Pushing to origin master has failed, there are new remote changes. Run 'git-sync-master.sh' to update master and rebase $BRANCH_NAME."
+	echo -e $ABORT "Pushing to origin $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH has failed, there are new remote changes. Run 'git-sync.sh' to update $PUBLISH_TO_BRANCH and rebase $BRANCH_NAME."
 	exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/script/git-sync-master.sh b/script/git-sync-master.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 9aaecd9a..00000000
--- a/script/git-sync-master.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,96 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-ABORT="\033[31mAbort:\033[00m"
-ALERT="\033[31mAlert:\033[00m"
-SUCCESS="\033[32mSuccess:\033[00m"
-INFO="\033[33mInfo:\033[00m"
-
-BRANCH_NAME=$(git symbolic-ref -q --short HEAD)
-
-# check if on branch
-echo -e $INFO "Checking on branch"
-
-if [ -z $BRANCH_NAME ]
-then
-	echo -e $ABORT "You are not on any branch."
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-# check clean index
-echo -e $INFO "Checking index"
-
-if [[ -n $(git diff HEAD) ]]
-then
-	echo -e $ABORT "You have uncommited changes."
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-# switch to master
-if [ $BRANCH_NAME != 'master' ]
-then
-	echo -e $INFO "Switching to master"
-	git checkout -q master
-
-	if [ $? != 0 ]
-	then
-		echo -e $ABORT "Switching to master failed."
-		exit 1
-	fi
-fi
-
-# fetch remote changes
-echo -e $INFO "Fetching changes"
-git fetch origin master --tags
-
-if [ $? != 0 ]
-then
-	echo -e $ABORT "Fetching from origin master failed"
-	git checkout -q "$BRANCH_NAME"
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-# rebase master to origin/master
-if [[ -z $(git diff origin/master) ]]
-then
-	echo -e $SUCCESS "Your master is up-to-date"
-else
-	echo -e $INFO "Rebasing to origin/master"
-	git rebase origin/master
-
-	if [ $? != 0 ]
-	then
-		echo -e $ALERT "Rebasing on master caused conflicts. This should never happen. Follow the instructions above to resolve them then use 'git push origin master' to update the remote."
-		exit 1
-	fi
-
-	echo -e $SUCCESS "Updated master"
-fi
-
-if [ $BRANCH_NAME == 'master' ]
-then
-	exit 0
-fi
-
-# switch to branch
-echo -e $INFO "Switching back to $BRANCH_NAME"
-git checkout -q "$BRANCH_NAME"
-
-if [ $? != 0 ]
-then
-	echo -e $ABORT "Switching back to $BRANCH_NAME failed."
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-# rebase branch to master
-echo -e $INFO "Rebasing $BRANCH_NAME to master"
-git rebase master
-
-if [ $? != 0 ]
-then
-	echo -e $ALERT "Rebasing $BRANCH_NAME to master caused conflicts. Follow the instructions above to resolve them."
-	exit 1
-else
-	echo -e $SUCCESS "$BRANCH_NAME is now up-to-date."
-fi
-
-exit 0
diff --git a/script/git-sync.sh b/script/git-sync.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..7d28faab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/git-sync.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+ABORT="\033[31mAbort:\033[00m"
+ALERT="\033[31mAlert:\033[00m"
+SUCCESS="\033[32mSuccess:\033[00m"
+INFO="\033[33mInfo:\033[00m"
+
+BRANCH_NAME=$(git symbolic-ref -q --short HEAD)
+
+#set branch to sync with
+if [[ $# -gt 0 ]]
+then
+	SYNC_BRANCH=$1
+else
+	SYNC_BRANCH="master"
+fi
+echo -e $INFO  "branch to commit: $SYNC_BRANCH"
+
+# check if on branch
+echo -e $INFO "Checking on branch"
+
+if [ -z $BRANCH_NAME ]
+then
+	echo -e $ABORT "You are not on any branch."
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# check clean index
+echo -e $INFO "Checking index"
+
+if [[ -n $(git diff HEAD) ]]
+then
+	echo -e $ABORT "You have uncommited changes."
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# switch to $SYNC_BRANCH
+if [ $BRANCH_NAME != '$SYNC_BRANCH' ]
+then
+	echo -e $INFO "Switching to $SYNC_BRANCH"
+	git checkout -q $SYNC_BRANCH
+
+	if [ $? != 0 ]
+	then
+		echo -e $ABORT "Switching to $SYNC_BRANCH failed."
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi
+
+# fetch remote changes
+echo -e $INFO "Fetching changes"
+git fetch origin $SYNC_BRANCH --tags
+
+if [ $? != 0 ]
+then
+	echo -e $ABORT "Fetching from origin $SYNC_BRANCH failed"
+	git checkout -q "$BRANCH_NAME"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# rebase $SYNC_BRANCH to origin/$SYNC_BRANCH
+if [[ -z $(git diff origin/$SYNC_BRANCH) ]]
+then
+	echo -e $SUCCESS "Your $SYNC_BRANCH is up-to-date"
+else
+	echo -e $INFO "Rebasing to origin/$SYNC_BRANCH"
+	git rebase origin/$SYNC_BRANCH
+
+	if [ $? != 0 ]
+	then
+		echo -e $ALERT "Rebasing on $SYNC_BRANCH caused conflicts. This should never happen. Follow the instructions above to resolve them then use 'git push origin master' to update the remote."
+		exit 1
+	fi
+
+	echo -e $SUCCESS "Updated $SYNC_BRANCH"
+fi
+
+if [ $BRANCH_NAME == '$SYNC_BRANCH' ]
+then
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+# switch to branch
+echo -e $INFO "Switching back to $BRANCH_NAME"
+git checkout -q "$BRANCH_NAME"
+
+if [ $? != 0 ]
+then
+	echo -e $ABORT "Switching back to $BRANCH_NAME failed."
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# rebase branch to $SYNC_BRANCH
+echo -e $INFO "Rebasing $BRANCH_NAME to $SYNC_BRANCH"
+git rebase $SYNC_BRANCH
+
+if [ $? != 0 ]
+then
+	echo -e $ALERT "Rebasing $BRANCH_NAME to $SYNC_BRANCH caused conflicts. Follow the instructions above to resolve them."
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo -e $SUCCESS "$BRANCH_NAME is now up-to-date."
+fi
+
+exit 0