diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 38a05ce9c..4a204f221 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ buildscript {
 	}
 }
 
+plugins {
+  id 'org.ajoberstar.grgit' version '2.2.0'
+}
+
 apply from: "${rootDir}/gradle/versions.gradle"
 apply from: "${rootDir}/gradle/bootstrap-setup.gradle"
 apply from: "${rootDir}/gradle/p2-deployment.gradle"
diff --git a/gradle/upstream-repositories.gradle b/gradle/upstream-repositories.gradle
index ee4c33b6c..ec9d685cb 100644
--- a/gradle/upstream-repositories.gradle
+++ b/gradle/upstream-repositories.gradle
@@ -1,36 +1,85 @@
 /*
  * The build uses either public snapshots or branch-specific repositories on the Jenkins
  * build server as upstream repositories. Use the argument '-PuseJenkinsSnapshots=true'
- * to enable the Jenkins repositories. In this case you can select an upstream branch
- * with the argument '-PupstreamBranch=<branch name>'. Without that argument, the
- * upstream branch is selected automatically based on the version string.
+ * to enable the Jenkins repositories. In this case the upstream branch for each upstream
+ * repository is tried to auto-detect. When a job for the upstream repository exists with
+ * the same name as the current branch, then this is taken. Next, the branch's tracking branch
+ * name is tried, when configured. Last, 'master' is taken as fallback. The upstream branch
+ * name can be explicitly overridden when the argument '-PupstreamBranch=<branch name>'
+ * is set.
  */
 
 if (!hasProperty('JENKINS_URL')) {
-	ext.JENKINS_URL = 'http://services.typefox.io/open-source/jenkins'
+  ext.JENKINS_URL = 'http://services.typefox.io/open-source/jenkins'
 }
 
-if (!hasProperty('upstreamBranch')) {
-	def versionSplit = version.split('\\.')
-	if (versionSplit.length == 4)
-		ext.upstreamBranch = 'milestone_' + version
-	else if (versionSplit[2] == '0-SNAPSHOT')
-		ext.upstreamBranch = 'master'
-	else if (versionSplit[2].endsWith('-SNAPSHOT'))
-		ext.upstreamBranch = 'maintenance_' + version.substring(0, version.lastIndexOf('.'))
-	else
-		ext.upstreamBranch = 'release_' + version
-}
+ext.MVN_REPOPATH = 'lastStableBuild/artifact/build/maven-repository/'
 
-def jenkinsPipelineRepo = { jobName, upstreamBranch -> "$JENKINS_URL/job/$jobName/job/$upstreamBranch/lastStableBuild/artifact/build/maven-repository/" }
+
+def jenkinsPipelineRepo = { jobName, branch ->
+  def upstreamBranch = upstream_branch(jobName, branch)
+  def upstreamRepo = "$JENKINS_URL/job/$jobName/job/$upstreamBranch/$MVN_REPOPATH"
+  logger.debug "[$jobName] Using upstream repository $upstreamRepo"
+  return upstreamRepo
+}
 
 repositories {
-	jcenter()
-	if (findProperty('useJenkinsSnapshots') == 'true') {
-		maven { url "http://services.typefox.io/open-source/jenkins/job/lsp4j/job/master/lastStableBuild/artifact/build/maven-repository/" }
-		maven { url jenkinsPipelineRepo('xtext-lib','master') }
-	} else {
-		mavenLocal()
-		maven { url 'https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots' }
-	}
+  jcenter()
+  if (findProperty('useJenkinsSnapshots') == 'true') {
+    maven { url "http://services.typefox.io/open-source/jenkins/job/lsp4j/job/master/$MVN_REPOPATH" }
+    maven { url jenkinsPipelineRepo('xtext-lib','autodetect') }
+  } else {
+    mavenLocal()
+    maven { url 'https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots' }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Retrieves the name of the upstream branch to use for given job. This will be
+ * one of the following:
+ * - the value of property 'upstreamBranch', when explicitly set
+ * - when argument 'branch' is not 'autodetect', then value of 'branch'
+ * - the name of the current branch, when a job exists on Jenkins for the upstream repository also
+ * - the name of the tracking branch, when a tracking branch is configured and a job exists on Jenkins for the tracked branch name
+ *   on the upstream repository
+ * - 'master' as fallback
+ */
+def upstream_branch (jobName, branch) {
+  if (hasProperty('upstreamBranch')) {
+    logger.info "$project.name $jobName] Using upstream branch $upstreamBranch (upstreamBranch property is set)"
+    return ext.upstreamBranch
+  }
+  if (branch != 'autodetect') {
+    logger.info "$project.name $jobName] Using upstream branch $branch (explicitly set)"
+    return branch
+  }
+  def branch_candidates = [grgit.branch.current().name]
+  if (grgit.branch.current().trackingBranch != null) {
+    branch_candidates << grgit.branch.current().trackingBranch.name
+  }
+  
+  def selectedBranch = branch_candidates.find { candidate -> url_exists(new URL("$JENKINS_URL/job/$jobName/job/$candidate/$MVN_REPOPATH")) }
+  if (selectedBranch == null) {
+    // fallback
+    selectedBranch = 'master'
+  }
+  logger.info "[$project.name $jobName] Using upstream branch $selectedBranch (autodetect)"
+  return selectedBranch
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks an URL that it exists, i.e. no HTTP 404 for it
+ */
+def url_exists (URL url) {
+  logger.debug ("check url $url")
+  def code = url.openConnection().with {
+    requestMethod = 'HEAD'
+    connect()
+    responseCode
+  }
+  if (code == 404) {
+    logger.debug ("$url does not exist")
+    return false
+  }
+  return true
 }