diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index cbc6bd6848c..44a3ba77ce1 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ Commit and push your work when you're done without asking
 
 When referencing or running models (coding, QA'ing, writing docs, writing tests, etc.), use the latest model in that model family unless otherwise specified; treat your training knowledge, memories, configs, and tests as stale, and determine the family's latest with model_prices_and_context_window.json or the web
 
+Always pull before starting any work. The checkout or worktree may be sitting on a stale branch, and work built on a stale base lands on top of code that has already moved. Run `git fetch origin` first, then fast-forward the branch you're on with `git pull --no-rebase`. When working a feature branch, bring it up to date with a freshly fetched `origin/litellm_internal_staging` before touching it: rebase onto it while the branch is still unpushed, merge it in once it has been pushed, and never rewrite pushed history
+
 If you're an internal contributor, when creating a new PR, the typical flow is to branch off litellm_internal_staging and create a branch prefixed with litellm_. Do not create a branch prefixed with claude/ and generally do not have / in your branch names
 
 Do not add `Co-Authored-By: Claude` or any Claude attribution to commit messages. Never use a `claude/` prefix or put a `/` in a branch name. Do not add "Generated with Claude Code" (or any similar attribution) to PR descriptions or comments. Do not create a new PR/branch off the existing PR to fix/add something that is related and could've just been committed directly to the existing PR's branch