diff --git a/sat/plugins/plugin_misc_merge_requests.py b/sat/plugins/plugin_misc_merge_requests.py
index 036ec524..6660e91f 100755
--- a/sat/plugins/plugin_misc_merge_requests.py
+++ b/sat/plugins/plugin_misc_merge_requests.py
@@ -206,42 +206,48 @@ class MergeRequests(object):
             node = NS_MERGE_REQUESTS
         if values is None:
             values = {}
+        update = extra.get('update', False)
+        if not repository and not update:
+            # in case of update, we may re-user former patches data
+            # so repository is not mandatory
+            raise exceptions.DataError(_(u"repository must be specified"))
 
         if FIELD_DATA in values:
             raise exceptions.DataError(_(u"{field} is set by backend, you must not set it in frontend").format(
                 field = FIELD_DATA))
 
-        if method == u'auto':
-            for name in self._handlers_list:
-                handler = self._handlers[name].handler
-                can_handle = yield handler.check(repository)
-                if can_handle:
-                    log.info(_(u"{name} handler will be used").format(name=name))
-                    break
+        if repository:
+            if method == u'auto':
+                for name in self._handlers_list:
+                    handler = self._handlers[name].handler
+                    can_handle = yield handler.check(repository)
+                    if can_handle:
+                        log.info(_(u"{name} handler will be used").format(name=name))
+                        break
+                else:
+                    log.warning(_(u"repository {path} can't be handled by any installed handler").format(
+                        path = repository))
+                    raise exceptions.NotFound(_(u"no handler for this repository has been found"))
             else:
-                log.warning(_(u"repository {path} can't be handled by any installed handler").format(
-                    path = repository))
-                raise exceptions.NotFound(_(u"no handler for this repository has been found"))
-        else:
-            try:
-                handler = self._handlers[name].handler
-            except KeyError:
-                raise exceptions.NotFound(_(u"No handler of this name found"))
+                try:
+                    handler = self._handlers[name].handler
+                except KeyError:
+                    raise exceptions.NotFound(_(u"No handler of this name found"))
 
-        data = yield handler.export(repository)
-        if not data.strip():
-            raise exceptions.DataError(_(u'export data is empty, do you have any change to send?'))
+            data = yield handler.export(repository)
+            if not data.strip():
+                raise exceptions.DataError(_(u'export data is empty, do you have any change to send?'))
 
-        if not values.get(u'title') or not values.get(u'body'):
-            patches = yield handler.parse(data, values.get(FIELD_DATA_TYPE))
-            commits_msg = patches[-1][self.META_COMMIT_MSG]
-            msg_lines = commits_msg.splitlines()
-            if not values.get(u'title'):
-                values[u'title'] = msg_lines[0]
-            if not values.get(u'body'):
-                values[u'body'] = u'\n'.join(msg_lines[1:])
+            if not values.get(u'title') or not values.get(u'body'):
+                patches = yield handler.parse(data, values.get(FIELD_DATA_TYPE))
+                commits_msg = patches[-1][self.META_COMMIT_MSG]
+                msg_lines = commits_msg.splitlines()
+                if not values.get(u'title'):
+                    values[u'title'] = msg_lines[0]
+                if not values.get(u'body'):
+                    values[u'body'] = u'\n'.join(msg_lines[1:])
 
-        values[FIELD_DATA] = data
+            values[FIELD_DATA] = data
 
         item_id = yield self._t.set(client, service, node, values, schema, item_id, extra, deserialise, form_ns=NS_MERGE_REQUESTS)
         defer.returnValue(item_id)