diff --git a/windowPatchsets.go b/windowPatchsets.go
index 9c005fe..e62d601 100644
--- a/windowPatchsets.go
+++ b/windowPatchsets.go
@@ -307,6 +307,27 @@ func cleanSubject(line string) string {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(cleaned)
 }
 
+func findCommitByHash(hash string, subject string) (string, error) {
+	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "--pretty=format:%H %s")
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	cmd.Stdout = &out
+	err := cmd.Run()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	lines := strings.Split(out.String(), "\n")
+	for _, line := range lines {
+		if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(line), strings.ToLower(subject)) {
+			return strings.Fields(line)[0], nil // return the commit hash
+		}
+		if strings.Fields(line)[0] == hash {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("start commit found: %s", hash)
+		}
+	}
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("no commit found for subject: %s", subject)
+}
+
 func findCommitBySubject(subject string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "--pretty=format:%H %s", "--grep="+subject, "-i")
 	var out bytes.Buffer
@@ -361,7 +382,7 @@ func AddNotDonePatches(notdone *forgepb.Patches, pset *forgepb.Patchset, full bo
 		comment := cleanSubject(patch.Comment)
 
 		if found := notdone.FindByCommitHash(patch.CommitHash); found != nil {
-			log.Info("duplicate notdone patch:", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.RepoNamespace, comment)
+			log.Info("duplicate notdone", patch.RepoNamespace, "patch:", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, comment)
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -375,19 +396,27 @@ func AddNotDonePatches(notdone *forgepb.Patches, pset *forgepb.Patchset, full bo
 		}
 
 		if patch.NewHash != "na" {
-			log.Info("already applied patch: newhash:", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.RepoNamespace, comment)
+			log.Info("already applied patch", patch.RepoNamespace, ": newhash:", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, comment)
 			continue
 		}
 		os.Chdir(repo.GetFullPath())
-		newhash, err := findCommitBySubject(comment)
+		newhash, err := findCommitByHash(patch.StartHash, comment)
+		if err != nil {
+			// this patch has not been applied yet
+			log.Info("patch: not found hash:", patch.RepoNamespace, patch.CommitHash, comment, err)
+			notdone.AppendByCommitHash(patch) // double check to ensure the commit hash isn't added twice
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newhash, err = findCommitBySubject(comment)
 		if err == nil {
 			patch.NewHash = newhash
-			log.Info("patch: found hash:", patch.CommitHash, newhash, patch.RepoNamespace, comment)
+			log.Info("patch: found hash:", patch.RepoNamespace, "commit patch", patch.CommitHash, "new hash", newhash, "start hash", patch.StartHash, comment)
 			continue
 		}
 
 		// this patch has not been applied yet
-		log.Info("patch: not found hash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.RepoNamespace, comment, newhash, err)
+		log.Info("patch: not found hash:", patch.RepoNamespace, patch.CommitHash, comment, newhash, err)
 		notdone.AppendByCommitHash(patch) // double check to ensure the commit hash isn't added twice
 	}
 }