diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index f5551b3..13bedd9 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -45,8 +45,13 @@ type ExamineCmd struct {
 }
 
 type CleanCmd struct {
-	Force *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:force"         help:"dangerously delete things that are not pushed upstream"`
-	User  *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:user"          help:"dump all the user branches"`
+	Force *EmptyCmd      `arg:"subcommand:force"         help:"dangerously delete things that are not pushed upstream"`
+	User  *EmptyCmd      `arg:"subcommand:user"          help:"clean the user branches"`
+	Devel *CleanDevelCmd `arg:"subcommand:devel"         help:"clean and verify the devel branches"`
+}
+
+type CleanDevelCmd struct {
+	Force bool `arg:"--force"                              help:"try to strong arm things"`
 }
 
 type PatchCmd struct {
diff --git a/argvAutoshell.go b/argvAutoshell.go
index 1cdb613..96c5e14 100644
--- a/argvAutoshell.go
+++ b/argvAutoshell.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 		usr, _ := user.Current()
 		fmt.Println("user devel master " + usr.Username)
 	case "clean":
-		fmt.Println("force user")
+		fmt.Println("devel user force")
 	case "commit":
 		fmt.Println("--all")
 	case "config":
diff --git a/doCheckout.go b/doCheckout.go
index a4d6b2a..85e4fdb 100644
--- a/doCheckout.go
+++ b/doCheckout.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ var ErrorNotAllReposOnMaster error = fmt.Errorf("not all repos on are on the mas
 var ErrorNotAllReposOnDevel error = fmt.Errorf("not all repos on are on the devel branch")
 var ErrorNotAllReposOnUser error = fmt.Errorf("not all repos on are on the user branch")
 
-func IsEverythingOnMaster() error {
+func IsEverythingOnMaster() (int, int, error) {
 	var total int
 	var count int
 	var nope int
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ func IsEverythingOnMaster() error {
 	log.Printf("Master branch check. %d total repos. (%d ok) (%d not on master branch)\n", total, count, nope)
 	if total != count {
 		// log.Info(ErrorNotAllReposOnMaster)
-		return ErrorNotAllReposOnMaster
+		return total, count, ErrorNotAllReposOnMaster
 	}
-	return nil
+	return total, count, nil
 }
 
-func IsEverythingOnDevel() error {
+func IsEverythingOnDevel() (int, int, error) {
 	var total int
 	var count int
 
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@ func IsEverythingOnDevel() error {
 	}
 	log.Printf("Devel branch check. %d total repos. %d repos on the devel branch\n", total, count)
 	if total != count {
-		return ErrorNotAllReposOnDevel
+		return total, count, ErrorNotAllReposOnDevel
 	}
-	return nil
+	return total, count, nil
 }
 
-func IsEverythingOnUser() error {
+func IsEverythingOnUser() (int, int, error) {
 	var total int
 	var count int
 
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ func IsEverythingOnUser() error {
 	}
 	log.Printf("User branch check. %d total repos. %d repos on the user branch\n", total, count)
 	if total != count {
-		return ErrorNotAllReposOnUser
+		return total, count, ErrorNotAllReposOnUser
 	}
-	return nil
+	return total, count, nil
 }
 
 func doGitReset() {
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func doAllCheckoutUser() error {
 	if count != 0 {
 		me.forge.ConfigSave()
 	}
-	if err := IsEverythingOnUser(); err != nil {
+	if _, _, err := IsEverythingOnUser(); err != nil {
 		// display all repos not on user
 		me.found = new(gitpb.Repos)
 		all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func doAllCheckoutDevel() error {
 	if count != 0 {
 		me.forge.ConfigSave()
 	}
-	if err := IsEverythingOnDevel(); err != nil {
+	if _, _, err := IsEverythingOnDevel(); err != nil {
 		// display all repos not on user
 		me.found = new(gitpb.Repos)
 		all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func doAllCheckoutMaster() error {
 		me.forge.ConfigSave()
 	}
 
-	if err := IsEverythingOnMaster(); err != nil {
+	if _, _, err := IsEverythingOnMaster(); err != nil {
 		// display all repos not on master
 		me.found = new(gitpb.Repos)
 		all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
diff --git a/doClean.go b/doClean.go
index a1c6275..7a04cac 100644
--- a/doClean.go
+++ b/doClean.go
@@ -10,41 +10,129 @@ import (
 )
 
 var ErrorReposHasLocalBranches error = fmt.Errorf("repo still has local branches")
+var ErrorMergeBranch error = fmt.Errorf("trunk has things not in the branch")
+var ErrorMergeTrunk error = fmt.Errorf("branch has things not in trunk")
 
 func doClean() error {
-	if err := IsEverythingOnMaster(); err != nil {
-		log.Info("Not all repos are on the master branch")
-		// return err
+	if argv.Clean.Devel != nil {
+		if err := doCleanDevel(); err != nil {
+			badExit(err)
+		}
+		log.Info("finished attempt at cleaning devel branches")
+		return nil
 	}
+	if argv.Clean.User != nil {
+		if err := doCleanUser(); err != nil {
+			log.Info(err)
+			okExit("")
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
+}
 
+func doCleanUser() error {
 	all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
 	for all.Scan() {
 		repo := all.Next()
-		if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetMasterBranchName() {
-			// skip this while in devel
-			continue
+		if _, count, err := IsEverythingOnMaster(); err != nil {
+			if count == 0 {
+				log.Info("No repos are on the master branch")
+				return nil
+			}
+			log.Info("Not all repos are on the master branch")
+			// return err
 		}
-		if repo.IsDirty() {
-			continue
-		}
-		if err := doCleanRepo(repo); err != nil {
+
+		if err := doCleanUserRepo(repo); err != nil {
 			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), err)
-			okExit("")
+			return err
 		}
 	}
-	log.Info("All repos on the master branch are clean")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func doCleanDevel() error {
+	var total int
+	var count int
+	all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
+	for all.Scan() {
+		repo := all.Next()
+		if argv.Verbose {
+			log.Info("Cleaning:", repo.GetGoPath())
+		}
+		total += 1
+		if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetDevelBranchName() {
+			// only process branches in devel
+			// return nil
+		}
+		if repo.IsDirty() {
+			return nil
+		}
+		count += 1
+		if err := doCleanDevelRepo(repo); err != nil {
+			log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), err)
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	log.Printf("attempted cleaning %d branches of %d total branches\n", count, total)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func doCleanDevelRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	devel := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+	// log.Printf("%s Start verify devel branch: %s\n", repo.GetGoPath(), devel)
+
+	// check if devel branch exists in remote repo
+	if repo.Exists(filepath.Join(".git/refs/remotes/origin", devel)) {
+		remote := filepath.Join("origin", devel)
+		if err := isBranchSubsetOfTrunk(repo, devel, remote); err != nil {
+			if err == ErrorMergeBranch {
+				log.Info("can not do this yet. need push to upstream", repo.GetGoPath())
+				return nil
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+		// log.Info("todo: verify against remote devel branch", repo.GetGoPath())
+	}
+
+	// verify devel branch is subset of master branch
+	master := repo.GetMasterBranchName()
+	if err := isBranchSubsetOfTrunk(repo, devel, master); err != nil {
+		if err == ErrorMergeBranch {
+			if argv.Force {
+				if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() == devel {
+					cmd := []string{"git", "merge", master}
+					// only run this if branch is local
+					_, err := repo.RunVerbose(cmd)
+					return err
+				} else {
+					cmd := []string{"git", "merge", master}
+					log.Info("can't run. on wrong branch.", cmd, repo.GetGoPath(), "current branch =", repo.GetCurrentBranchName())
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	// log.Info("todo: verify against remote devel branch", repo.GetGoPath())
+
 	return nil
 }
 
 // removes all local branches
-func doCleanRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+func doCleanUserRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	var hasLocal bool
-	if argv.Verbose {
-		log.Info("Cleaning:", repo.GetGoPath())
-	}
 	if repo.GitConfig == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("GitConfig == nil")
 	}
+	if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetMasterBranchName() {
+		// skip this while in devel
+		return nil
+	}
+	if repo.IsDirty() {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	for _, l := range repo.GitConfig.Local {
 		log.Info("\tlocal branch name:", l.Name)
@@ -83,13 +171,9 @@ func doCleanRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 			continue
 		}
 		if name == repo.GetDevelBranchName() {
-			/*
-				if err := doCleanDevelBranch(repo, b); err != nil {
-					log.Info("\tLOCAL BRANCH ERROR devel")
-					return err
-				}
-				log.Info("\tLOCAL BRANCH devel")
-			*/
+			continue
+		}
+		if name == repo.GetMasterBranchName() {
 			continue
 		}
 		if err := verifyLocalBranchIsMerged(repo, b); err != nil {
@@ -150,11 +234,6 @@ func verifyLocalBranchIsMerged(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch *gitpb.GitBranch) error
 	return err
 }
 
-func doCleanDevelBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch *gitpb.GitBranch) error {
-	log.Printf("\tDo something %s on branch name:%s merge:%s remote:%s\n", repo.GetGoPath(), branch.Name, branch.Merge, branch.Remote)
-	return nil
-}
-
 func doCleanUserBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch *gitpb.GitBranch) error {
 	if branch.Name != repo.GetUserBranchName() {
 		return fmt.Errorf("repo %s was not user branch %s", repo.GetGoPath(), branch.Name)
@@ -364,3 +443,38 @@ func BADforceDeleteBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch string) error {
 	// return fmt.Errorf("one at a time %s", repo.GetGoPath())
 	return nil
 }
+
+// verifies that the branch is a pure subset of the other branch
+// sorry about the 'master' 'slave' nameing thing. I guess that isn't
+// 'cool' to use anymore. I can't think of other terms that aren't reserved words.
+func isBranchSubsetOfTrunk(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch string, trunk string) error {
+	b1 := countGitDiffLog(repo, branch, trunk) // should be zero
+	b2 := countGitDiffLog(repo, trunk, branch) // can be greater than 1
+	// log.Info(branch, "vs", trunk, "count", b1, b2)
+	if b1 == 0 && b2 == 0 {
+		// log.Info("branch and trunk are identical ==", branch, b1, trunk, b2)
+		return nil
+	}
+	if b1 == 0 {
+		cmd := []string{"git", "merge", trunk}
+		log.Printf("%-40s branch %s needs merge with trunk %s len(%d) %s\n", repo.GetGoPath(), branch, trunk, b2, cmd)
+		return ErrorMergeBranch
+	}
+	if b2 == 0 {
+		log.Printf("%-40s trunk %s needs merge with branch %s len(%d)\n", repo.GetGoPath(), branch, trunk, b2)
+		return ErrorMergeTrunk
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("branch not clean to delete. needs merge %d %d", b1, b2)
+}
+
+// count all objects only in branch1
+// if zero, that means branch1 is entirely contained in branch2 and can be safely deleted
+func countGitDiffLog(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch1, branch2 string) int {
+	cmd := repo.ConstructGitDiffLog(branch1, branch2)
+	r, err := repo.RunStrictNew(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1
+	}
+	// log.Info("countDiffObjects()", cmd, len(r.Stdout), strings.Join(r.Stdout, " "))
+	return len(r.Stdout)
+}
diff --git a/doPull.go b/doPull.go
index 44a1b82..09ade34 100644
--- a/doPull.go
+++ b/doPull.go
@@ -29,3 +29,23 @@ func doGitPull() {
 	}
 
 }
+
+// git fetch origin master:master
+func rillFetchMaster(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetUserBranchName() {
+		// only fetch when branch is on the user branch
+		return nil
+	}
+	branch := repo.GetMasterBranchName()
+	cmd := []string{"git", "fetch", "origin", branch + ":" + branch}
+	_, err := repo.RunVerbose(cmd)
+	return err
+}
+
+func doGitFetch() {
+	me.forge.RillFuncError(rillFetchMaster)
+	count := me.forge.RillReload()
+	if count != 0 {
+		me.forge.ConfigSave()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 53a96a7..eb25299 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if argv.GitPull != nil {
-		argv.GitPull.findRepos()
-		doGitPull()
+		// argv.GitPull.findRepos()
+		doGitFetch()
 		okExit("")
 	}
 
diff --git a/windowPatches.go b/windowPatches.go
index 916ab66..eeae1e8 100644
--- a/windowPatches.go
+++ b/windowPatches.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func submitPatchesBox(box *gui.Node) *patchSummary {
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
-		if err := IsEverythingOnDevel(); err != nil {
+		if _, _, err := IsEverythingOnDevel(); err != nil {
 			log.Info("You can only apply patches to the devel branch")
 			return
 		}