diff --git a/doClean.go b/doClean.go
index e72a817..e2ad047 100644
--- a/doClean.go
+++ b/doClean.go
@@ -76,19 +76,11 @@ func doCleanDevel() error {
 	for all.Scan() {
 		repo := all.Next()
 		total += 1
-		// devel := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
-		if repo.GetDevelVersion() == "derr" {
-			// already deleted
-			return nil
+		if !repo.IsLocalBranch(repo.GetDevelBranchName()) {
+			// there is no local branch named 'devel'
+			continue
 		}
-		/*
-			if !doesLocalBranchExist(repo, devel) {
-				if argv.Verbose {
-					log.Info("local branch was already deleted:", repo.GetGoPath())
-				}
-				continue
-			}
-		*/
+
 		if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetMasterBranchName() {
 			log.Info("Repo not on master branch:", repo.GetGoPath())
 			continue
@@ -107,26 +99,6 @@ func doCleanDevel() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-/*
-func checkhashes(repo *gitpb.Repo, hashes []string, refpath string) ([]string, error) {
-	if !repo.Exists(refpath) {
-		return hashes, nil
-	}
-	r, err := repo.RunStrict([]string{"cat", refpath})
-	if err != nil {
-		return hashes, err
-	}
-	newhash := r.Stdout[0]
-	for _, hash := range hashes {
-		if newhash != hash {
-			return hashes, fmt.Errorf("%s hash broke %s %s", repo.GetGoPath(), newhash, hash)
-		}
-	}
-	hashes = append(hashes, newhash)
-	return hashes, nil
-}
-*/
-
 // removes all local branches
 func doCleanUserRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	if repo.IsDirty() {
@@ -136,17 +108,18 @@ func doCleanUserRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	bruser := repo.GetUserBranchName()
 	brdevel := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
 
-	if repo.GetUserVersion() == "uerr" {
-		// already deleted
-		return nil
-	}
-	log.Info("trying", bruser, repo.GetUserVersion())
-
 	if repo.IsBranchRemote(bruser) {
 		log.Info("forge is designed to always have local only user branches", bruser)
 		return fmt.Errorf("forge is designed to always have local only user branches")
 	}
 
+	if !repo.IsLocalBranch(bruser) {
+		// there is no local user branch
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	log.Info("trying to delete", bruser, repo.GetUserVersion())
+
 	b1 := repo.CountDiffObjects(bruser, brdevel) // should be zero
 	if b1 == 0 {
 		cmd := []string{"git", "branch", "-D", bruser}
@@ -158,6 +131,7 @@ func doCleanUserRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s branch has things not in %s count=%d", bruser, brdevel, b1)
 }
 
+// hack to cleanup release versioning info
 func doCleanPub() error {
 	total := 0
 	all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()