diff --git a/github_rest_api/scripts/github/create_pull_request.py b/github_rest_api/scripts/github/create_pull_request.py
index 3d1d5e4..72ddf20 100644
--- a/github_rest_api/scripts/github/create_pull_request.py
+++ b/github_rest_api/scripts/github/create_pull_request.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 from github_rest_api import Repository
+from github_rest_api.utils import compile_patterns
 
 
 def parse_args(args=None, namespace=None) -> Namespace:
@@ -34,6 +35,19 @@ def parse_args(args=None, namespace=None) -> Namespace:
         required=True,
         help="The base branch to merge changes into.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--ignore-patterns",
+        dest="ignore_patterns",
+        nargs="*",
+        default=["^_"],
+        help="A list of regular expression patterns. Branches matching any of these patterns will be ignored.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--update",
+        dest="update",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Update the head branch using the base branch before creating the pull request.",
+    )
     return parser.parse_args(args=args, namespace=namespace)
 
 
@@ -43,10 +57,23 @@ def main() -> int:
     The branch is updated (using dev) before creating the PR.
     """
     args = parse_args()
-    # skip branches with the pattern _*
-    if args.head_branch.startswith("_"):
-        return 0
+    # skip branches matching any of the ignore patterns
+    try:
+        compiled = compile_patterns(args.ignore_patterns)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        print(e, file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+    for pattern in compiled:
+        if pattern.search(args.head_branch):
+            print(
+                f"Branch '{args.head_branch}' matches ignore pattern '{
+                    pattern.pattern
+                }', skipping."
+            )
+            return 0
     repo = Repository(args.token, os.environ["GITHUB_REPOSITORY"])
+    if args.update:
+        repo.update_branch(update=args.head_branch, upstream=args.base_branch)
     repo.create_pull_request(
         {
             "base": args.base_branch,
diff --git a/github_rest_api/utils.py b/github_rest_api/utils.py
index 41c0f4b..6bd4c27 100644
--- a/github_rest_api/utils.py
+++ b/github_rest_api/utils.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """Some generally useful util functions."""
 
+from collections.abc import Sequence
 from itertools import tee, filterfalse
+import re
 
 
 def partition(pred, iterable):
@@ -12,6 +14,27 @@ def partition(pred, iterable):
     return filter(pred, it1), filterfalse(pred, it2)
 
 
+def compile_patterns(patterns: str | Sequence[str] | None) -> list[re.Pattern[str]]:
+    """Compile a list of regular expression patterns.
+
+    :param patterns: A list of regular expression patterns to compile.
+    :return: A list of compiled regular expression patterns.
+    """
+    if not patterns:
+        return []
+    if isinstance(patterns, str):
+        patterns = [patterns]
+    compiled = []
+    for pattern in patterns:
+        try:
+            compiled.append(re.compile(pattern))
+        except re.error as e:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Invalid regular expression pattern '{pattern}': {e}"
+            ) from e
+    return compiled
+
+
 def strip_patch_version(version: str) -> str:
     """Strip the patch version.