diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 97541a2..2b69e9a 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ package main
 var argv args
 
 type args struct {
-	Repo      string `arg:"positional"                   help:"go import path"`
-	NoWork    bool   `arg:"--no-work"    default:"true"  help:"do not make or modify the go.work file"`
-	GoSrc     bool   `arg:"--go-src"     default:"true"  help:"only work in ~/go/src"`
-	DryRun    bool   `arg:"--dry-run"                    help:"show what would be run"`
-	Recursive bool   `arg:"--recursive"  default:"false" help:"resursively clone all dependencies"`
-	Pull      bool   `arg:"--pull"       default:"false" help:"run 'git pull' on all your repos"`
-	// Fetch     bool   `arg:"--fetch"      default:"false" help:"run 'git fetch' on all your repos"`
+	Repo      string `arg:"positional"                     help:"go import path"`
+	AutoWork  bool   `arg:"--auto-work"  default:"false"   help:"auto recreate the go.work file"`
+	GoSrc     bool   `arg:"--go-src"     default:"true"    help:"only work in ~/go/src"`
+	DryRun    bool   `arg:"--dry-run"                      help:"show what would be run"`
+	Recursive bool   `arg:"--recursive"  default:"false"   help:"resursively clone all dependencies"`
+	Pull      bool   `arg:"--git-pull"   default:"false"   help:"run 'git pull' on all your repos"`
+	// Fetch     bool   `arg:"--git-fetch"      default:"false" help:"run 'git fetch' on all your repos"`
 }
 
 func (a args) Description() string {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 26cff91..5f275f6 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func main() {
 			} else {
 				trycount += 1
 				log.Info("actually run: git pull:", repo.Status.Path())
-				if result := repo.Status.Run(pull); result.Error != nil {
+				if result := shell.PathRunRealtime(repo.Status.Path(), pull); result.Error != nil {
 					log.Info("git pull error:", result.Error)
 					errcount += 1
 				}
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	// if the user didn't provide a repo, stop here
-	if argv.Repo == "" {
+	// if the user didn't provide a repo, stop here unless --git-pull
+	if argv.Repo == "" || argv.Pull {
 		pp.WriteHelp(os.Stdout)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
@@ -93,11 +93,9 @@ func main() {
 	newr.Status.MakeRedomod()
 
 	fullgitdir = filepath.Join(wdir, argv.Repo, ".git")
-	if shell.IsDir(fullgitdir) {
-		if ! argv.Recursive {
-			log.Info("repo already cloned", filepath.Join(wdir, argv.Repo))
-			os.Exit(0)
-		}
+	if ! shell.IsDir(fullgitdir) {
+		log.Info("repo cloned failed", filepath.Join(wdir, argv.Repo))
+		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
 
 	log.Info("scanning for repo in:", filepath.Join(wdir, argv.Repo))
@@ -134,7 +132,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	log.Info("Total repositories:", count)
 	log.Info("Finished go-clone for", argv.Repo)
-	if !argv.NoWork {
+	if argv.AutoWork {
 		log.Info("Creating", wdir+"/go.work")
 		rv.MakeGoWork()
 		shell.PathRun(wdir, []string{"go", "work", "use"})