diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index e05abf4..57058e9 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ type CleanCmd struct {
 	Force    *EmptyCmd      `arg:"subcommand:force"         help:"do destructive stuff"`
 	GitReset *EmptyCmd      `arg:"subcommand:git-reset"     help:"git reset --hard"`
 	User     *EmptyCmd      `arg:"subcommand:user"          help:"clean the user branches"`
+	Verify   *VerifyCmd     `arg:"subcommand:verify"        help:"verify branches"`
+}
+
+type VerifyCmd struct {
+	User   *FindCmd `arg:"subcommand:user"                      help:"verify the user branches"`
+	Devel  *FindCmd `arg:"subcommand:devel"                     help:"verify the devel branches"`
+	Master *FindCmd `arg:"subcommand:master"                    help:"verify the master branches"`
 }
 
 type CleanDevelCmd struct {
diff --git a/argvAutoshell.go b/argvAutoshell.go
index b97218f..e54738a 100644
--- a/argvAutoshell.go
+++ b/argvAutoshell.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 // used for shell auto completion
 // var ARGNAME string = "forge" // todo: get this from $0 ?
 
-func (a *EmptyCmd) deleteMatch() {
+func deleteMatch() {
 	// f := forgedb.InitSimple()
 	fmt.Println("go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus todo: need to do this")
 }
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 		// me.pp.WriteUsageForSubcommand(os.Stderr, me.pp.SubcommandNames()...)
 		// me.pp.WriteHelpForSubcommand(os.Stderr, me.pp.SubcommandNames()...)
 		me.pp.WriteHelpForSubcommand(os.Stderr, "clean")
-		fmt.Println("delete devel force examine force git-reset user")
+		fmt.Println("delete devel force examine force git-reset user verify")
 	case "commit":
 		fmt.Println("--all")
 	case "config":
 		fmt.Println("add fix list")
 	case "delete":
-		argv.Clean.Delete.deleteMatch()
+		deleteMatch()
 	case "dirty":
 		fmt.Println("--verbose")
 	case "examine":
@@ -49,9 +49,11 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 	case "user":
 		fmt.Println("--force")
 	case "devel":
-		fmt.Println("--force")
+		fmt.Println("--verbose")
 	case "master":
 		fmt.Println("--force")
+	case "verify":
+		fmt.Println("user devel master")
 	default:
 		if argv.BashAuto[0] == ARGNAME {
 			// list the subcommands here
diff --git a/doVerifyDevel.go b/doVerifyDevel.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8fd419
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doVerifyDevel.go
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func doVerifyDevel() error {
+	me.found = new(gitpb.Repos)
+	all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
+	for all.Scan() {
+		repo := all.Next()
+		if repo.IsDirty() {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "is dirty")
+			continue
+		}
+		if repo.GetDevelBranchName() == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if repo.GetMasterBranchName() != repo.GetCurrentBranchName() {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "is not on master branch")
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// check if devel branch exists in remote repo
+		devel := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+		if argv.Verbose {
+			log.Printf("Start clean devel branch: %s %s\n", repo.GetGoPath(), devel)
+		}
+
+		if repo.Exists(filepath.Join(".git/refs/remotes/origin", devel)) {
+			// todo: actually use .git/config
+			if err := doCleanDevelRepo(repo); err != nil {
+				log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "verify clean failed")
+			}
+			// can not continue
+			continue
+		}
+		// devel branch is only local
+		/*
+			devname := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+			if err := requiresGitPush(repo, devname); err != nil {
+				log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "is out of sync with upstream")
+				return err
+			}
+		*/
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+/*
+		err = fmt.Errorf("examineBranch() branch differs. patch diff len == 0. PROBABLY DELETE BRANCH %s", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+		log.Info(err)
+		cmd := repo.ConstructGitDiffLog(repo.CurrentTag.Refname, repo.GetMasterBranchName())
+		if argv.Clean.Examine.Fix == nil {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), cmd)
+		} else {
+			if _, err := repo.RunVerbose(cmd); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		cmd = repo.ConstructGitDiffLog(repo.GetMasterBranchName(), repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+		if argv.Clean.Examine.Fix == nil {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), cmd)
+		} else {
+			if _, err := repo.RunVerbose(cmd); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		cmd = []string{"git", "branch", "-D", repo.CurrentTag.Refname}
+		log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "TRY THIS:", cmd)
+		if argv.Clean.Examine.Fix == nil {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "TODO: CHECK REMOTE BRANCH DOES NOT EXIST", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			repo.RunVerbose([]string{"ls", "-l", ".git/refs/remotes/origin"})
+		} else {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "TODO: CHECK REMOTE BRANCH DOES NOT EXIST", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			if _, err := repo.RunVerbose(cmd); err != nil {
+				return err
+			} else {
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	err = fmt.Errorf("examineBranch() branch differs, but not sure how to fix it yet == %d", len(dcount))
+	log.Info(err)
+	return nil
+*/
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 7751b8c..3030314 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -85,12 +85,18 @@ func main() {
 			}
 			okExit("")
 		}
+
 		if argv.Clean.GitReset != nil {
 			findAll() // select all the repos
 			doGitReset()
 			okExit("reset")
 		}
 
+		if argv.Clean.Verify != nil {
+			doVerifyDevel()
+			okExit("verify")
+		}
+
 		if err := doClean(); err != nil {
 			badExit(err)
 		}