diff --git a/.github/workflows/guard-main-branch.yml b/.github/workflows/guard-main-branch.yml
index 21aad18d298..aa4968f0c1e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/guard-main-branch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/guard-main-branch.yml
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ jobs:
           echo "PR head repo: $HEAD_REPO"
           echo "PR head branch: $HEAD_REF"
           if [ "$HEAD_REPO" != "$BASE_REPO" ]; then
-            echo "::error::PRs to main must originate from the canonical repository ($BASE_REPO), not a fork ($HEAD_REPO). External contributors should open PRs against the 'litellm_oss_staging' branch instead."
+            echo "::error::PRs to main must originate from the canonical repository ($BASE_REPO), not a fork ($HEAD_REPO). External contributors should open PRs against the current daily OSS branch (named litellm_oss_daily_YYYY_MM_DD; a fresh one is cut each weekday, so target the most recent) instead."
             exit 1
           fi
           if [ "$HEAD_REF" = "litellm_internal_staging" ] || [[ "$HEAD_REF" == litellm_hotfix_?* ]]; then
             echo "Allowed source branch."
             exit 0
           fi
-          echo "::error::PRs to main must originate from 'litellm_internal_staging' or a 'litellm_hotfix_*' branch. Got: '$HEAD_REF'. If this is a contribution, retarget the PR against 'litellm_oss_staging' instead."
+          echo "::error::PRs to main must originate from 'litellm_internal_staging' or a 'litellm_hotfix_*' branch. Got: '$HEAD_REF'. If this is a contribution, retarget the PR against the current daily OSS branch (named litellm_oss_daily_YYYY_MM_DD; a fresh one is cut each weekday, so target the most recent) instead."
           exit 1
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 5affa7748d7..78da2c65d96 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Same thing for bug fixes. The tests should make it so that this specific bug can
 
 End-to-end tests belong in `tests/e2e/` and must follow the harness conventions documented in that directory's `CLAUDE.md`
 
-When creating PRs, don't set base to `main`. `litellm_internal_staging` serves that purpose
+When creating PRs, don't set base to `main`. `litellm_internal_staging` serves that purpose for internal contributors; external / OSS contributions target the current daily OSS branch instead, named `litellm_oss_daily_YYYY_MM_DD` (a fresh one is cut each weekday, so use the most recent)
 
 When writing a PR body, treat the comments and imperative instructions inside @.github/pull_request_template.md as rules to follow, not just layout. Agent harnesses may strip HTML comments from copies of that file injected into context, so read .github/pull_request_template.md from disk before writing a PR body to make sure you see every comment rule
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 1080579d0fa..0202965ec4b 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ npm run build
 ## Submitting Your PR
 
 1. **Push your branch**: `git push origin your-feature-branch`
-2. **Create a PR**: Go to GitHub and create a pull request
+2. **Create a PR**: Go to GitHub and open a pull request against the current daily OSS branch, named `litellm_oss_daily_YYYY_MM_DD`. A fresh one is cut each weekday, so pick the most recent from the [branch list](https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/branches/all?query=litellm_oss_daily). Do not target `main`.
 3. **Fill out the PR template**: Provide clear description of changes
 4. **Wait for review**: Maintainers will review and provide feedback
 5. **Address feedback**: Make requested changes and push updates