diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index 59ac730..7919294 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ on: workflow_call
 jobs:
   deploy:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      contents: write
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -134,13 +132,24 @@ jobs:
                         $asset_name \
                         $full_asset_name
 
-    - name: Switch to gh-pages and empty it
-      run: |
-        git reset --hard
-        git clean -fdx
-        git fetch origin gh-pages
-        git checkout -b gh-pages origin/gh-pages
-        git rm -r . --quiet
+    - run: |
+        git config --global user.name "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.name }}"
+        git config --global user.email "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.email }}"
+
+    - name: Prepare gh-pages branch
+      run: >
+        git reset --hard ;
+        git clean -fdx ;
+        git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin refs/heads/gh-pages &&
+        (
+          git fetch origin gh-pages ;
+          git checkout -b gh-pages origin/gh-pages ;
+          git rm -r . --quiet || true
+        ) || (
+          git checkout --orphan gh-pages ;
+          git reset --hard ;
+          git commit -m "empty" --allow-empty
+        )
 
     - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
       with:
@@ -154,8 +163,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Commit gh-pages
       run: |
         git add . >> /dev/null
-        git config --global user.name "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.name }}"
-        git config --global user.email "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.email }}"
         git commit -m "deploy: ${GITHUB_SHA}" --allow-empty
 
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/top-level.yml b/.github/workflows/top-level.yml
index 144947c..eb1c5ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/top-level.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/top-level.yml
@@ -21,3 +21,5 @@ jobs:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/deploy.yml
     needs: [build-doc, tests]
     secrets: inherit
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
diff --git a/docs/ci.rst b/docs/ci.rst
index 3f72f18..ee996af 100644
--- a/docs/ci.rst
+++ b/docs/ci.rst
@@ -148,13 +148,30 @@ With GitHub Actions, the following workflow file is recommended:
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
 
        steps:
+       - run: |
+           git config --global user.name "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.name }}"
+           git config --global user.email "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.email }}"
+
+       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+       - name: Create gh-pages branch
+         run: >
+           git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin refs/heads/gh-pages ||
+           (
+             git reset --hard ;
+             git clean -fdx ;
+             git checkout --orphan gh-pages ;
+             git reset --hard;
+             git commit -m "empty" --allow-empty ;
+             git push origin gh-pages:gh-pages
+           )
+
        - uses: actions/checkout@v4
          with:
            ref: 'gh-pages'
 
        - name: Empty gh-pages
          run: |
-           git rm -r . --quiet
+           git rm -r . --quiet || true
 
        - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
          with:
@@ -168,8 +185,6 @@ With GitHub Actions, the following workflow file is recommended:
        - name: Commit gh-pages
          run: |
            git add . >> /dev/null
-           git config --global user.name "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.name }}"
-           git config --global user.email "${{ github.event.head_commit.committer.email }}"
            git commit -m "deploy: ${GITHUB_SHA}" --allow-empty
 
        - name: Push to gh-pages