diff --git a/devutils/update_platform_patches.py b/devutils/update_platform_patches.py
index b45b446b..340c4c20 100755
--- a/devutils/update_platform_patches.py
+++ b/devutils/update_platform_patches.py
@@ -63,17 +63,19 @@ def _dir_empty(path):
     return False
 
 
-def _remove_files_with_dirs(root_dir, sorted_file_iter):
+def _rename_files_with_dirs(root_dir, source_dir, sorted_file_iter):
     '''
-    Deletes a list of sorted files relative to root_dir, removing empty directories along the way
+    Moves a list of sorted files back to their original location,
+    removing empty directories along the way
     '''
     past_parent = None
     for partial_path in sorted_file_iter:
         complete_path = Path(root_dir, partial_path)
+        complete_source_path = Path(source_dir, partial_path)
         try:
-            complete_path.unlink()
+            complete_path.rename(complete_source_path)
         except FileNotFoundError:
-            get_logger().warning('Could not remove prepended patch: %s', complete_path)
+            get_logger().warning('Could not move prepended patch: %s', complete_path)
         if past_parent != complete_path.parent:
             while past_parent and _dir_empty(past_parent):
                 past_parent.rmdir()
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ def _remove_files_with_dirs(root_dir, sorted_file_iter):
         complete_path = complete_path.parent
 
 
-def unmerge_platform_patches(platform_patches_dir):
+def unmerge_platform_patches(platform_patches_dir, prepend_patches_dir):
     '''
     Undo merge_platform_patches(), adding any new patches from series.merged as necessary
 
@@ -99,8 +101,8 @@ def unmerge_platform_patches(platform_patches_dir):
         filter(len,
                (platform_patches_dir / _SERIES_PREPEND).read_text(encoding=ENCODING).splitlines()))
 
-    # Remove prepended files with directories
-    _remove_files_with_dirs(platform_patches_dir, sorted(prepend_series))
+    # Move prepended files back to original location, preserving changes
+    _rename_files_with_dirs(platform_patches_dir, prepend_patches_dir, sorted(prepend_series))
 
     # Determine positions of blank spaces in series.orig
     if not (platform_patches_dir / _SERIES_ORIG).exists():
@@ -169,10 +171,11 @@ def main():
     repo_dir = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
 
     success = False
+    prepend_patches_dir = repo_dir / 'patches'
     if args.command == 'merge':
-        success = merge_platform_patches(args.platform_patches, repo_dir / 'patches')
+        success = merge_platform_patches(args.platform_patches, prepend_patches_dir)
     elif args.command == 'unmerge':
-        success = unmerge_platform_patches(args.platform_patches)
+        success = unmerge_platform_patches(args.platform_patches, prepend_patches_dir)
     else:
         raise NotImplementedError(args.command)