diff --git a/hack/lib/util.sh b/hack/lib/util.sh
index 68b5c6bd65..47445dabb7 100755
--- a/hack/lib/util.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/util.sh
@@ -496,25 +496,42 @@ kube::util::ensure_single_dir_gopath() {
   fi
 }
 
-# Checks whether there are any files matching pattern $2 changed between the
-# current branch and upstream branch named by $1.
-# Returns 1 (false) if there are no changes, 0 (true) if there are changes
-# detected.
-kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch() {
+# Find the base commit using:
+# $PULL_BASE_SHA if set (from Prow)
+# current ref from the remote upstream branch
+kube::util::base_ref() {
   local -r git_branch=$1
-  local -r pattern=$2
-  local -r not_pattern=${3:-totallyimpossiblepattern}
-  local full_branch
+
+  if [[ -n ${PULL_BASE_SHA:-} ]]; then
+    echo "${PULL_BASE_SHA}"
+    return
+  fi
 
   full_branch="$(kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name)/${git_branch}"
-  echo "Checking for '${pattern}' changes against '${full_branch}'"
+  
   # make sure the branch is valid, otherwise the check will pass erroneously.
   if ! git describe "${full_branch}" >/dev/null; then
     # abort!
     exit 1
   fi
+
+  echo "${full_branch}"
+}
+
+# Checks whether there are any files matching pattern $2 changed between the
+# current branch and upstream branch named by $1.
+# Returns 1 (false) if there are no changes
+#         0 (true) if there are changes detected.
+kube::util::has_changes() {
+  local -r git_branch=$1
+  local -r pattern=$2
+  local -r not_pattern=${3:-totallyimpossiblepattern}
+  
+  local base_ref=$(kube::util::base_ref "${git_branch}")
+  echo "Checking for '${pattern}' changes against '${base_ref}'"
+
   # notice this uses ... to find the first shared ancestor
-  if git diff --name-only "${full_branch}...HEAD" | grep -v -E "${not_pattern}" | grep "${pattern}" > /dev/null; then
+  if git diff --name-only "${base_ref}...HEAD" | grep -v -E "${not_pattern}" | grep "${pattern}" > /dev/null; then
     return 0
   fi
   # also check for pending changes
diff --git a/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh b/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
index a4eda566db..8e49d6f96e 100755
--- a/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
 readonly branch=${1:-${KUBE_VERIFY_GIT_BRANCH:-master}}
 if ! [[ ${KUBE_FORCE_VERIFY_CHECKS:-} =~ ^[yY]$ ]] && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'vendor/'; then
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'vendor/'; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/hack/verify-godeps.sh b/hack/verify-godeps.sh
index 8fda624ca7..8760c7649d 100755
--- a/hack/verify-godeps.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-godeps.sh
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
 readonly branch=${1:-${KUBE_VERIFY_GIT_BRANCH:-master}}
 if ! [[ ${KUBE_FORCE_VERIFY_CHECKS:-} =~ ^[yY]$ ]] && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'vendor/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'hack/lib/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'hack/.*godep'; then
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'vendor/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'hack/lib/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'hack/.*godep'; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/hack/verify-readonly-packages.sh b/hack/verify-readonly-packages.sh
index 87864a61a3..014984c904 100755
--- a/hack/verify-readonly-packages.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-readonly-packages.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ find_files() {
 IFS=$'\n'
 conflicts=($(find_files | sed 's|/.readonly||' | while read dir; do
     dir=${dir#./}
-    if kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" "^${dir}/[^/]*\$" '/\.readonly$|/BUILD$|/zz_generated|/\.generated\.|\.proto$|\.pb\.go$' >/dev/null; then
+    if kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" "^${dir}/[^/]*\$" '/\.readonly$|/BUILD$|/zz_generated|/\.generated\.|\.proto$|\.pb\.go$' >/dev/null; then
         echo "${dir}"
     fi
 done))
diff --git a/hack/verify-staging-godeps.sh b/hack/verify-staging-godeps.sh
index e984d164a1..e5564d879f 100755
--- a/hack/verify-staging-godeps.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-staging-godeps.sh
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
 readonly branch=${1:-${KUBE_VERIFY_GIT_BRANCH:-master}}
 if ! [[ ${KUBE_FORCE_VERIFY_CHECKS:-} =~ ^[yY]$ ]] && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'staging/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'build/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'vendor/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'hack/lib/' && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'hack/.*godep'; then
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'staging/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'build/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'vendor/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'hack/lib/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes "${branch}" 'hack/.*godep'; then
   exit 0
 fi