diff --git a/.github/workflows/update_sdk.yml b/.github/workflows/update_sdk.yml
index 3671514..fa898c6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update_sdk.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update_sdk.yml
@@ -21,10 +21,15 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repository: neurostuff/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}
           path: ${{ matrix.sdk[1] }}/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}
+      # - name: Setup tmate session
+      #   uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3
+      #   timeout-minutes: 45
       - name: Checkout reciprical branch
         run: |
           cd ${{ matrix.sdk[1] }}/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}
-          git checkout ${{ github.base_ref }} 2>/dev/null || git checkout -b ${{ github.base_ref }}
+          git fetch
+          git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin  ${{ github.ref_name }} || git branch ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          git checkout ${{ github.ref_name }}
       - name: Generate SDK
         run: |
           ./generate.sh ${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}
@@ -33,11 +38,16 @@ jobs:
           cd ${{ matrix.sdk[1] }}/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}
           git config --local user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
           git config --local user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-
-          # check to see if there were any changes to the repository.
+          git config --local --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader"
+          # check to see if there were any changes to the repository and no branches made
           if [ -z $(git ls-files --other --exclude-standard --directory) ]; then
             echo "No files to be committed!"
+            if [ -z $(git ls-remote --heads origin ${{ github.ref_name }}) ]; then
+              git push -q https://${{ secrets.SDK_PAT }}@github.com/neurostuff/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}.git ${{ github.ref_name }}
+            else
+              echo "branch already exists and is up to date"
+            fi
           else
             git commit -m "${{ github.sha }}" -a
-            git push -q https://${{ secrets.SDK_PAT }}@github.com/neurostuff/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}.git ${{ github.base_ref }}
+            git push -q https://${{ secrets.SDK_PAT }}@github.com/neurostuff/${{ matrix.sdk[0] }}.git ${{ github.ref_name }}
           fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/generate.sh b/generate.sh
index 77aa2ff..4236a72 100755
--- a/generate.sh
+++ b/generate.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 generate=$1
 
-if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurostore" || [ ${generate} == "neurostore-python-sdk" ]; then
+if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurostore" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurostore-python-sdk" ]; then
 
     echo "generating python-neurostore-sdk..."
     docker run --rm  --user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurostore" || [ ${generate} =
         -o /local/python/neurostore-sdk
 fi
 
-if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "typescript-neurostore" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurostore-typescript-sdk "]; then
+if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "typescript-neurostore" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurostore-typescript-sdk" ]; then
 
     echo "generating typescript-neurostore-sdk..."
     docker run --rm  --user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "typescript-neurostore" ] || [ ${gener
         -o /local/typescript/neurostore-sdk
 fi
 
-if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurosynth-compose" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurosynth-compose-python-sdk "]; then
+if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurosynth-compose" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurosynth-compose-python-sdk" ]; then
 
     echo "generating python-neurosynth-compose-sdk..."
     docker run --rm  --user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "python-neurosynth-compose" ] || [ ${g
         -o /local/python/neurosynth-compose-sdk
 fi
 
-if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "typescript-neurosynth-compose" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurosynth-compose-typescript-sdk "]; then
+if [ -z ${generate} ] || [ ${generate} == "typescript-neurosynth-compose" ] || [ ${generate} == "neurosynth-compose-typescript-sdk" ]; then
 
     echo "generating typescript-neurosynth-compose-sdk..."
     docker run --rm  --user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
diff --git a/python_sdk_templates/github_actions.mustache b/python_sdk_templates/github_actions.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04bbf98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python_sdk_templates/github_actions.mustache
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+name: Test {{{packageName}}}
+on: [push, pull_request]
+jobs:
+  pytest:
+    runs-on: {{=<% %>=}}${{ matrix.os }}<%={{ }}=%>
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [ubuntu-20.04]
+        python: ["3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10"]
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out repository code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - name: Install python  {{=<% %>=}}${{ matrix.python }}<%={{ }}=%>
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        with:
+          python-version: {{=<% %>=}}${{ matrix.python }}<%={{ }}=%>
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          pip install -r requirements.txt
+          pip install -r test-requirements.txt
+      - name: Run pytest
+        run: |
+          pytest --cov={{{packageName}}}