diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d749cce..4793e06 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 # make andlabs   # try the andlabs gui plugin (uses GTK)
 
 default: install-verbose
-	# FORGE_VERBOSE=true forge list |head -n 20
+	forge
 
 vet:
 	@GO111MODULE=off go vet
diff --git a/doNormal.go b/doNormal.go
index 4c773d0..2973251 100644
--- a/doNormal.go
+++ b/doNormal.go
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ package main
 // checks that repos are in a "normal" state
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ func doNormal() bool {
 		log.Info("Some repos are not in a 'normal' state. error count =", count)
 		log.Info("TODO: list the repos here. forge patch repos?")
 		dumpWorkRepos()
-		configSave = true
+		config.SetChanged("repos", true)
 		return false
 	}
 	return true
@@ -47,19 +50,31 @@ func doNormal() bool {
 // this needs to run each time in case repos were added manually by the user
 // this also verifies that
 func checkNormalRepoState(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	var err error
+	tmp := filepath.Join(me.forge.Config.ReposDir, repo.GetNamespace())
+	if tmp != repo.FullPath {
+		log.Infof("%s != %s\n", repo.FullPath, tmp)
+		if strings.HasPrefix(repo.FullPath, me.forge.Config.ReposDir) {
+			tmp = strings.TrimPrefix(repo.FullPath, me.forge.Config.ReposDir)
+			repo.Namespace = tmp
+			err = log.Errorf("namespace set to filepath")
+		}
+	} else {
+		// log.Infof("%s == %s\n", repo.FullPath, tmp)
+	}
+
 	if repo.GetMasterBranchName() == "" {
 		me.forge.VerifyBranchNames(repo)
-		configSave = true
 		log.Info("ABNORMAL: master branch name was blank in", repo.GetFullPath())
 	}
 	if repo.GetMasterBranchName() == "" {
-		return log.Errorf("master branch name blank")
+		err = log.Errorf("master branch name blank")
 	}
 	if repo.GetDevelBranchName() == "" {
-		return log.Errorf("devel branch name blank")
+		err = log.Errorf("devel branch name blank")
 	}
 	if repo.GetUserBranchName() == "" {
-		return log.Errorf("user branch name blank")
+		err = log.Errorf("user branch name blank")
 	}
 	if repo.GetGoPath() == repo.GetNamespace() {
 		// log.Info(repo.FullPath, "gopath == namespace", repo.GetGoPath(), repo.GetNamespace())
@@ -72,11 +87,10 @@ func checkNormalRepoState(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	repo.VerifyRemoteAndLocalBranches(repo.GetMasterBranchName())
 
 	if repo.GetCurrentBranchName() != repo.GetUserBranchName() {
-		configSave = true
 		log.Info("changing to user branch", repo.FullPath)
 		repo.CheckoutUser()
 		repo.ReloadCheck()
-		return log.Errorf("now on user branch")
+		err = log.Errorf("now on user branch")
 	}
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 981f853..8aff206 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -66,9 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 		okExit("")
 	}
 
-	// me.forge.RillRepos(reloadCheck)
-	// me.forge.ScanGoSrc()
-	me.forge.ScanRepoDir()
+	me.forge.ScanRepoDir() // looks for new dirs, checks existing repos for changes
 
 	// initialize patches
 	doPatchInit()