diff --git a/doCommit.go b/doCommit.go
index 8ec6d45..3f6d340 100644
--- a/doCommit.go
+++ b/doCommit.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-func doCommit() {
+func doCommit() error {
 	if argv.All {
 		found := me.forge.CheckDirty()
 		var newpatches bool
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func doCommit() {
 			okExit("")
 		}
 		if newpatches {
-			patchSubmitAndExit()
+			return doPatchSubmit()
 		}
 		okExit("")
 	}
@@ -69,23 +69,7 @@ func doCommit() {
 		badExit(err)
 	}
 
-	patchSubmitAndExit()
-}
-
-func patchSubmitAndExit() {
-	_, err := me.forge.SubmitDevelPatchSet("forge auto commit")
-	if err != nil {
-		// TRY different URL
-		me.forge.SetForgeURL("https://forge.grid.wit.com/")
-		log.Info("GOING TO TRY AGAIN", me.forge.GetForgeURL())
-	}
-
-	_, err = me.forge.SubmitDevelPatchSet("forge auto commit")
-	if err != nil {
-		badExit(err)
-	}
-
-	okExit("git commit ok. forge done")
+	return doPatchSubmit()
 }
 
 func doCommitRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
diff --git a/doPatch.go b/doPatch.go
index 36357b3..c1e301b 100644
--- a/doPatch.go
+++ b/doPatch.go
@@ -31,31 +31,36 @@ func isPatchingSafe() bool {
 	if me.forge.Config.Mode == forgepb.ForgeMode_NORMAL {
 		return true
 	}
-	log.Info("forge requres a 'normal' state to work with patches")
-	log.Info("you must run:")
+	log.Info("This patch command is not safe to run now")
+	log.Info("you must reset the state of your git repositories. Run:")
 	log.Info("")
 	log.Info("forge normal")
 	log.Info("")
 	return false
 }
 
+// submit's current working patches
+func doPatchSubmit() error {
+	pset, err := me.forge.MakeDevelPatchSet("testing")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, _, err = pset.Patches.HttpPostVerbose(myServer(), "new")
+	return err
+}
+
 func doPatch() error {
 	if argv.Patch.Repos != nil {
 		dumpDirtyRepos()
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if !isPatchingSafe() {
-		return log.Errorf("not safe to work on patches")
+	if argv.Patch.Submit != nil {
+		return doPatchSubmit()
 	}
 
-	if argv.Patch.Submit != nil {
-		pset, err := me.forge.MakeDevelPatchSet("testing")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		pset.Patches.HttpPostVerbose(myServer(), "new")
-		return nil
+	if !isPatchingSafe() {
+		return log.Errorf("not safe to work on patches")
 	}
 
 	if argv.Patch.Get != nil {