diff --git a/experiment/autobumper/bumper/bumper.go b/experiment/autobumper/bumper/bumper.go
index 602df4588434..3f4f8dbc426f 100644
--- a/experiment/autobumper/bumper/bumper.go
+++ b/experiment/autobumper/bumper/bumper.go
@@ -286,6 +286,13 @@ func Run(o *Options) error {
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Check to see if the proper fork exists and if it does not, create one.
+		// TODO(mpherman): Handle case where account has repo of same name as one we are trying to autobump but is not a fork of it (e.g. test-infra)
+		_, err := gc.EnsureFork(o.GitHubLogin, o.GitHubOrg, o.GitHubRepo)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("fork needed for autobump does not exist. unable to create new fork. %v", err)
+		}
+
 		stdout := HideSecretsWriter{Delegate: os.Stdout, Censor: &sa}
 		stderr := HideSecretsWriter{Delegate: os.Stderr, Censor: &sa}
 		if err := MakeGitCommit(fmt.Sprintf("git@github.com:%s/%s.git", o.GitHubLogin, o.RemoteName), o.HeadBranchName, o.GitName, o.GitEmail, o.Prefixes, stdout, stderr, versions); err != nil {
diff --git a/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server.go b/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server.go
index 14836a95790b..99bc650d37aa 100644
--- a/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server.go
+++ b/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ type githubClient interface {
 	CreateFork(org, repo string) (string, error)
 	CreatePullRequest(org, repo, title, body, head, base string, canModify bool) (int, error)
 	CreateIssue(org, repo, title, body string, milestone int, labels, assignees []string) (int, error)
+	EnsureFork(forkingUser, org, repo string) (string, error)
 	GetPullRequest(org, repo string, number int) (*github.PullRequest, error)
 	GetPullRequestPatch(org, repo string, number int) ([]byte, error)
 	GetPullRequests(org, repo string) ([]github.PullRequest, error)
@@ -516,61 +517,15 @@ func (s *Server) createIssue(org, repo, title, body string, num int, comment *gi
 func (s *Server) ensureForkExists(org, repo string) (string, error) {
 	s.repoLock.Lock()
 	defer s.repoLock.Unlock()
-
-	// Fork repo if it doesn't exist.
 	fork := s.botUser.Login + "/" + repo
-	if !repoExists(fork, s.repos) {
-		if name, err := s.ghc.CreateFork(org, repo); err != nil {
-			return repo, fmt.Errorf("cannot fork %s/%s: %v", org, repo, err)
-		} else {
-			// we got a fork but it may be named differently
-			repo = name
-		}
-		if err := waitForRepo(s.botUser.Login, repo, s.ghc); err != nil {
-			return repo, fmt.Errorf("fork of %s/%s cannot show up on GitHub: %v", org, repo, err)
-		}
-		s.repos = append(s.repos, github.Repo{FullName: fork, Fork: true})
-	}
-	return repo, nil
-}
 
-func waitForRepo(owner, name string, ghc githubClient) error {
-	// Wait for at most 5 minutes for the fork to appear on GitHub.
-	// The documentation instructs us to contact support if this
-	// takes longer than five minutes.
-	after := time.After(6 * time.Minute)
-	tick := time.Tick(30 * time.Second)
-
-	var ghErr string
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-tick:
-			repo, err := ghc.GetRepo(owner, name)
-			if err != nil {
-				ghErr = fmt.Sprintf(": %v", err)
-				logrus.WithError(err).Warn("Error getting bot repository.")
-				continue
-			}
-			ghErr = ""
-			if repoExists(owner+"/"+name, []github.Repo{repo.Repo}) {
-				return nil
-			}
-		case <-after:
-			return fmt.Errorf("timed out waiting for %s to appear on GitHub%s", owner+"/"+name, ghErr)
-		}
+	// fork repo if it doesn't exsit
+	if _, err := s.ghc.EnsureFork(s.botUser.Login, org, repo); err != nil {
+		return repo, err
 	}
-}
 
-func repoExists(repo string, repos []github.Repo) bool {
-	for _, r := range repos {
-		if !r.Fork {
-			continue
-		}
-		if r.FullName == repo {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
+	s.repos = append(s.repos, github.Repo{FullName: fork, Fork: true})
+	return repo, nil
 }
 
 // getPatch gets the patch for the provided PR and creates a local
diff --git a/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server_test.go b/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server_test.go
index 243ddbe3fb32..46191fce7022 100644
--- a/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server_test.go
+++ b/prow/external-plugins/cherrypicker/server_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ func (f *fghc) GetRepo(owner, name string) (github.FullRepo, error) {
 	return github.FullRepo{}, nil
 }
 
+func (f *fghc) EnsureFork(forkingUser, org, repo string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
 var expectedFmt = `title=%q body=%q head=%s base=%s labels=%v`
 
 func prToString(pr github.PullRequest) string {
diff --git a/prow/github/client.go b/prow/github/client.go
index fce9f2be66b8..24f590e445a7 100644
--- a/prow/github/client.go
+++ b/prow/github/client.go
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ type RepositoryClient interface {
 	IsCollaborator(org, repo, user string) (bool, error)
 	ListCollaborators(org, repo string) ([]User, error)
 	CreateFork(owner, repo string) (string, error)
+	EnsureFork(forkingUser, org, repo string) (string, error)
 	ListRepoTeams(org, repo string) ([]Team, error)
 	CreateRepo(owner string, isUser bool, repo RepoCreateRequest) (*FullRepo, error)
 	UpdateRepo(owner, name string, repo RepoUpdateRequest) (*FullRepo, error)
@@ -3561,6 +3562,71 @@ func (c *client) CreateFork(owner, repo string) (string, error) {
 	return resp.Name, err
 }
 
+// EnsureFork checks to see that there is a fork of org/repo in the forkedUsers repositories.
+// If there is not, it makes one, and waits for the fork to be created before returning.
+// The return value is the name of the repo that was created
+// (This may be different then the one that is forked due to naming conflict)
+func (c *client) EnsureFork(forkingUser, org, repo string) (string, error) {
+	// Fork repo if it doesn't exist.
+	fork := forkingUser + "/" + repo
+	repos, err := c.GetRepos(forkingUser, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return repo, fmt.Errorf("could not fetch all existing repos: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !repoExists(fork, repos) {
+		if name, err := c.CreateFork(org, repo); err != nil {
+			return repo, fmt.Errorf("cannot fork %s/%s: %v", org, repo, err)
+		} else {
+			// we got a fork but it may be named differently
+			repo = name
+		}
+		if err := c.waitForRepo(forkingUser, repo); err != nil {
+			return repo, fmt.Errorf("fork of %s/%s cannot show up on GitHub: %v", org, repo, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return repo, nil
+
+}
+
+func (c *client) waitForRepo(owner, name string) error {
+	// Wait for at most 5 minutes for the fork to appear on GitHub.
+	// The documentation instructs us to contact support if this
+	// takes longer than five minutes.
+	after := time.After(6 * time.Minute)
+	tick := time.Tick(30 * time.Second)
+
+	var ghErr string
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-tick:
+			repo, err := c.GetRepo(owner, name)
+			if err != nil {
+				ghErr = fmt.Sprintf(": %v", err)
+				logrus.WithError(err).Warn("Error getting bot repository.")
+				continue
+			}
+			ghErr = ""
+			if repoExists(owner+"/"+name, []Repo{repo.Repo}) {
+				return nil
+			}
+		case <-after:
+			return fmt.Errorf("timed out waiting for %s to appear on GitHub%s", owner+"/"+name, ghErr)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func repoExists(repo string, repos []Repo) bool {
+	for _, r := range repos {
+		if !r.Fork {
+			continue
+		}
+		if r.FullName == repo {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // ListRepoTeams gets a list of all the teams with access to a repository
 // See https://developer.github.com/v3/repos/#list-teams
 func (c *client) ListRepoTeams(org, repo string) ([]Team, error) {