diff --git a/doNormal.go b/doNormal.go
index c85c8df..b625f65 100644
--- a/doNormal.go
+++ b/doNormal.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func doNormal() bool {
 	if allerr := me.forge.RillRepos(checkNormalRepoState); len(allerr) != 0 {
 		log.Info("Some repos are not in a 'normal' state. error count =", len(allerr))
 		for repo, err := range allerr {
-			log.Info("repo not normal", repo.GetFullPath(), err)
+			log.Info("ABNORMAL:", repo.GetFullPath(), err)
 		}
 		return false
 	}
@@ -27,6 +27,19 @@ 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 {
+	if repo.GetMasterBranchName() == "" {
+		me.forge.VerifyBranchNames(repo)
+		configSave = true
+	}
+	if repo.GetMasterBranchName() == "" {
+		return log.Errorf("master branch name blank")
+	}
+	if repo.GetDevelBranchName() == "" {
+		return log.Errorf("devel branch name blank")
+	}
+	if repo.GetUserBranchName() == "" {
+		return log.Errorf("user branch name blank")
+	}
 	if _, err := repo.MakeLocalDevelBranch(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}