diff --git a/docs/submittingpatches.html b/docs/submittingpatches.html
index f8380b0a542..ef5be716d93 100644
--- a/docs/submittingpatches.html
+++ b/docs/submittingpatches.html
@@ -259,15 +259,53 @@ Thus, drop the line only if you want to cancel the nomination.
Criteria for accepting patches to the stable branch
Mesa has a designated release manager for each stable branch, and the release
-manager is the only developer that should be pushing changes to these
-branches. Everyone else should simply nominate patches using the mechanism
-described above.
+manager is the only developer that should be pushing changes to these branches.
+Everyone else should nominate patches using the mechanism described above.
-The stable-release manager will work with the list of nominated patches, and
-for each patch that meets the criteria below will cherry-pick the patch with:
-git cherry-pick -x <commit>. The -x option is
-important so that the picked patch references the commit ID of the original
-patch.
+The following rules define which patches are accepted and which are not. The
+stable-release manager is also given broad discretion in rejecting patches
+that have been nominated.
+
+
+ - Patch must conform with the Basic guidelines
+
+ - Patch must have landed in master first. In case where the original
+ patch is too large and/or otherwise contradicts with the rules set within, a
+ backport is appropriate.
+
+ - It must not introduce a regression - be that build or runtime wise.
+
+ Note: If the regression is due to faulty piglit/dEQP/CTS/other test the
+ latter must be fixed first. A reference to the offending test(s) and
+ respective fix(es) should be provided in the nominated patch.
+
+ - Patch cannot be larger than 100 lines.
+
+ - Patches that move code around with no functional change should be
+ rejected.
+
+ - Patch must be a bug fix and not a new feature.
+
+ Note: An exception to this rule, are hardware-enabling "features". For
+ example, backports of new code to support a newly-developed hardware product
+ can be accepted if they can be reasonably determined not to have effects on
+ other hardware.
+
+ - Patch must be reviewed, For example, the commit message has Reviewed-by,
+ Signed-off-by, or Tested-by tags from someone but the author.
+
+ - Performance patches are considered only if they provide information
+ about the hardware, program in question and observed improvement. Use numbers
+ to represent your measurements.
+
+
+If the patch complies with the rules it will be
+cherry-picked. Alternatively the release
+manager will reply to the patch in question stating why the patch has been
+rejected or would request a backport.
+
+A summary of all the picked/rejected patches will be presented in the
+pre-release announcement.
The stable-release manager may at times need to force-push changes to the
stable branches, for example, to drop a previously-picked patch that was later
@@ -275,72 +313,6 @@ identified as causing a regression). These force-pushes may cause changes to
be lost from the stable branch if developers push things directly. Consider
yourself warned.
-The stable-release manager is also given broad discretion in rejecting patches
-that have been nominated for the stable branch. The most basic rule is that
-the stable branch is for bug fixes only, (no new features, no
-regressions). Here is a non-exhaustive list of some reasons that a patch may
-be rejected:
-
-
- - Patch introduces a regression. Any reported build breakage or other
- regression caused by a particular patch, (game no longer works, piglit test
- changes from PASS to FAIL), is justification for rejecting a patch.
-
- - Patch is too large, (say, larger than 100 lines)
-
- - Patch is not a fix. For example, a commit that moves code around with no
- functional change should be rejected.
-
- - Patch fix is not clearly described. For example, a commit message
- of only a single line, no description of the bug, no mention of bugzilla,
- etc.
-
- - Patch has not obviously been reviewed, For example, the commit message
- has no Reviewed-by, Signed-off-by, nor Tested-by tags from anyone but the
- author.
-
- - Patch has not already been merged to the master branch. As a rule, bug
- fixes should never be applied first to a stable branch. Patches should land
- first on the master branch and then be cherry-picked to a stable
- branch. (This is to avoid future releases causing regressions if the patch
- is not also applied to master.) The only things that might look like
- exceptions would be backports of patches from master that happen to look
- significantly different.
-
- - Patch depends on too many other patches. Ideally, all stable-branch
- patches should be self-contained. It sometimes occurs that a single, logical
- bug-fix occurs as two separate patches on master, (such as an original
- patch, then a subsequent fix-up to that patch). In such a case, these two
- patches should be squashed into a single, self-contained patch for the
- stable branch. (Of course, if the squashing makes the patch too large, then
- that could be a reason to reject the patch.)
-
- - Patch includes new feature development, not bug fixes. New OpenGL
- features, extensions, etc. should be applied to Mesa master and included in
- the next major release. Stable releases are intended only for bug fixes.
-
- Note: As an exception to this rule, the stable-release manager may accept
- hardware-enabling "features". For example, backports of new code to support
- a newly-developed hardware product can be accepted if they can be reasonably
- determined not to have effects on other hardware.
-
- - Patch is a performance optimization. As a rule, performance patches are
- not candidates for the stable branch. The only exception might be a case
- where an application's performance was recently severely impacted so as to
- become unusable. The fix for this performance regression could then be
- considered for a stable branch. The optimization must also be
- non-controversial and the patches still need to meet the other criteria of
- being simple and self-contained
-
- - Patch introduces a new failure mode (such as an assert). While the new
- assert might technically be correct, for example to make Mesa more
- conformant, this is not the kind of "bug fix" we want in a stable
- release. The potential problem here is that an OpenGL program that was
- previously working, (even if technically non-compliant with the
- specification), could stop working after this patch. So that would be a
- regression that is unacceptable for the stable branch.
-
-
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