diff --git a/.github/sync_labels.py b/.github/sync_labels.py
index 799b4985c5d..101eebb97fa 100755
--- a/.github/sync_labels.py
+++ b/.github/sync_labels.py
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ def __init__(self, url, actor):
         self._url = url
         self._actor = actor
         self._warning_prefix = 'Label Sync Warning:'
+        self._hint_prefix = 'Label Sync Hint:'
         self._labels = None
         self._author = None
         self._draft = None
@@ -262,10 +263,15 @@ def clean_warnings(self):
             created_at = c['created_at']
             if login.startswith('github-actions'):
                 debug('github-actions comment %s created at %s on issue %s found' % (comment_id, created_at, issue))
+                prefix = None
                 if body.startswith(self._warning_prefix):
+                    prefix = self._warning_prefix
+                if body.startswith(self._hint_prefix):
+                    prefix = self._hint_prefix
+                if prefix:
                     created = datetime.strptime(created_at, datetime_format)
                     lifetime = today - created
-                    debug('github-actions %s %s is %s old' % (self._warning_prefix, comment_id, lifetime))
+                    debug('github-actions %s %s is %s old' % (prefix, comment_id, lifetime))
                     if lifetime > warning_lifetime:
                         try:
                             self.rest_api('%s/%s' % (path_args, comment_id), method='DELETE')
@@ -329,6 +335,8 @@ def get_review_decision(self):
         else:
             # To separate a not supplied value from not cached (see https://github.com/sagemath/sage/pull/36177#issuecomment-1704022893 ff)
             self._review_decision = ReviewDecision.unclear
+            info('No review decision for %s' % self._issue)
+            return None
         info('Review decision for %s: %s' % (self._issue, self._review_decision.value))
         return self._review_decision
 
@@ -492,8 +500,15 @@ def actor_valid(self):
             return False
 
         coms = self.get_commits()
-        authors = sum(com['authors'] for com in coms)
-        authors = [auth for auth in authors if not auth['login'] in (self._actor, 'github-actions')]
+        authors = []
+        for com in coms:
+            for author in com['authors']:
+                login = author['login']
+                if not login in authors:
+                    if not login in (self._actor, 'github-actions'):
+                        debug('PR %s has recent commit by %s' % (self._issue, login))
+                        authors.append(login)
+
         if not authors:
             info('PR %s can\'t be approved by the author %s since no other person commited to it' % (self._issue, self._actor))
             return False
@@ -529,24 +544,27 @@ def mark_as_ready(self):
         """
         self.gh_cmd('ready', '', '')
 
-    def review(self, arg, text):
+    def review(self, arg, text=None):
         r"""
         Perform a system call to ``gh`` to review a PR.
         """
-        self.gh_cmd('review', arg, '-b \"%s\"' % text)
+        if text:
+            self.gh_cmd('review', arg, '-b \"%s\"' % text)
+        else:
+            self.gh_cmd('review', arg)
 
     def approve(self):
         r"""
         Approve the PR by the actor.
         """
-        self.review('--approve', '%s approved this PR' % self._actor)
+        self.review('--approve')
         info('PR %s approved by %s' % (self._issue, self._actor))
 
     def request_changes(self):
         r"""
         Request changes for this PR by the actor.
         """
-        self.review('--request-changes', '%s requested changes for this PR' % self._actor)
+        self.review('--request-changes', '@%s requested changes for this PR' % self._actor)
         info('Changes requested for PR %s by %s' % (self._issue, self._actor))
 
     def review_comment(self, text):
@@ -569,6 +587,12 @@ def add_warning(self, text):
         """
         self.add_comment('%s %s' % (self._warning_prefix, text))
 
+    def add_hint(self, text):
+        r"""
+        Perform a system call to ``gh`` to add a hint to an issue or PR.
+        """
+        self.add_comment('%s %s' % (self._hint_prefix, text))
+
     def add_label(self, label):
         r"""
         Add the given label to the issue or PR.
@@ -622,11 +646,10 @@ def reject_label_removal(self, item):
         a corresponding other one.
         """
         if type(item) == State:
-            sel_list = 'state'
+            sel_list = 'status'
         else:
             sel_list = 'priority'
-        self.add_warning('Label *%s* can not be removed. Please add the %s-label which should replace it' % (item.value, sel_list))
-        self.add_label(item.value)
+        self.add_hint('You don\'t need to remove %s labels any more. You\'d better just add the label which replaces it' % sel_list)
         return
 
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -713,6 +736,10 @@ def on_label_removal(self, label):
             return
 
         item = sel_list(label)
+
+        if len(self.active_partners(item)) > 0:
+            return
+
         if sel_list is State:
             if self.is_pull_request():
                 if item != State.needs_info: