Chris Harris and Jack Singleton were among the try-scorers for Gloucester on Friday as they kicked off Round 10 of the Premiership with a 27-10 win over Bristol Bears.
Pat Lam was pleased to welcome talisman Semi Radradra back from injury as the Fiji star made his first appearance of the season, but even he couldn't inspire the visitors to victory.
Henry Purdy gave Bristol hope with a well-executed try early in the second period, but it proved little more than a consolation as Gloucester sealed their triumph with a late score from substitute Charlie Chapman.
The bonus-point haul is enough to move George Skivington's side above Northampton Saints and up to fourth in the table for the time being, while Bristol's woes linger as they stay stuck in 11th.
Player of the Match Ruan Ackerman hailed the derby win as a "really special" result, adding: "It's a massive one, especially on a Friday night at Kingsholm."
Adam Hastings and Callum Sheedy were the primary points-scorers early on at Kingsholm, trading a penalty apiece as the derby rivals felt each other out.
It wasn't until the 37th minute that Singleton grumbled his way to the line underneath a pile of bodies, emerging with the ball to collect his third try in six Premiership games.
Radradra replaced Alapati Leiua at half-time and almost immediately offloaded Purdy into open space, showing more verve in five seconds than most of his team-mates had managed in the first 40 minutes.
It was only two minutes later that Purdy again seared down Bristol's left wing, this time to successfully collect a Sheedy chip across and touch down to put the guests ahead for the first time.
Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit was bamboozled by the bounce of his compatriot's kick, and Purdy was delighted to take advantage before Sheedy came back to supply the conversion.
Bristol looked a renewed force with Olympic gold medal-winner Radradra pulling strings in the back line, but it wasn't long before Gloucester reminded their guests of the threat they posed.
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Newly capped England centre Mark Atkinson dinked a deftly weighted grubber behind the Bears line for Chris Harris to score almost free of pressure on the 55-minute mark.
Bristol's day went from bad to worse when Dan Thomas was sin-binned for slowing ball on his own line with 15 minutes remaining, giving up a penalty try in the process as Gloucester stretched their lead to 12 points.
Lam's side were back up to 15 men when substitute scrum-half Chapman darted from the base of a scrum, dummying his way down the flank to apply the finishing touches in style.
Even with Radradra back fit and healthy, he was attempting to improve a team that produced just 19 tries in their first eight games this season—only Bath (15) have scored fewer.
The blueprint continues to come together for Skivington's side, meanwhile, who now trail only top pair Leicester and Saracens in points scored (albeit having played a game more).
Gloucester have now lost only one of their last nine games across all competitions, and back-rower Ackerman told BT Sport: "Every match, every week, we get really close as a team, and we feel like brothers at the moment.
"And this was a really big focus point for us, especially going back to the derby, and I know how much it means to the fans, so it's extra motivation for us."
Both teams will enjoy a Premiership respite until Boxing Day, with Bristol set to kick off their Champions Cup campaign against Scarlets on December 11.
The Welsh club has urged European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) to rearrange the fixture as they continue to quarantine in Belfast following their recent return from South Africa.
The Cherry and Whites get their Challenge Cup quest underway a day earlier when they visit French outfit Lyon.
