diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3534d50..72c6a89 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 
 info: install
 	# forge dirty
-	forge examine
+	# forge examine
+	forge clean
 
 vet:
 	@GO111MODULE=off go vet
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 5c7c345..0bd593e 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type args struct {
 	Rescan   *EmptyCmd    `arg:"subcommand:rescan"                    help:"recreate the git protobuf repos.pb file"`
 	Delete   *EmptyCmd    `arg:"subcommand:delete"                    help:"untrack a repo"`
 	Commit   *EmptyCmd    `arg:"subcommand:commit"                    help:"smart 'git commit' (errors out if on wrong branch)"`
+	Clean    *CleanCmd    `arg:"subcommand:clean"                     help:"clean out all local branches (safely)"`
 	Examine  *ExamineCmd  `arg:"subcommand:examine"                   help:"examine branches"`
 	URL      string       `arg:"--connect"                            help:"gowebd url"`
 	All      bool         `arg:"--all"                                help:"git commit --all"`
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ type ExamineCmd struct {
 	Submit string    `arg:"--submit"                 help:"name of patchset"`
 }
 
+type CleanCmd struct {
+	Force *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:force"         help:"dangerously delete things that are not pushed upstream"`
+}
+
 type PatchCmd struct {
 	List   *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:list"          help:"list available patches"`
 	Show   *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:show"          help:"show a specific patch"`
diff --git a/argvAutoshell.go b/argvAutoshell.go
index a32c2fd..9b7d818 100644
--- a/argvAutoshell.go
+++ b/argvAutoshell.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 	case "checkout":
 		usr, _ := user.Current()
 		fmt.Println("user devel master " + usr.Username)
+	case "clean":
+		fmt.Println("")
 	case "commit":
 		fmt.Println("--all")
 	case "config":
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 	default:
 		if argv.BashAuto[0] == ARGNAME {
 			// list the subcommands here
-			fmt.Println("--bash checkout commit config dirty delete examine hard-reset list patch pull rescan")
+			fmt.Println("--bash checkout clean commit config dirty delete examine hard-reset list patch pull rescan")
 		}
 	}
 	os.Exit(0)
diff --git a/doClean.go b/doClean.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11e4b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doClean.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func doClean() error {
+	all := me.forge.Repos.SortByFullPath()
+	for all.Scan() {
+		repo := all.Next()
+		if err := doCleanRepo(repo); err != nil {
+			badExit(err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func doCleanRepo(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	log.Info("Cleaning:", repo.GetGoPath())
+	if repo.GitConfig == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("GitConfig == nil")
+	}
+
+	for _, l := range repo.GitConfig.Local {
+		log.Info("\tlocal branch name:", l.Name)
+	}
+
+	for name, b := range repo.GitConfig.Branches {
+		log.Info("\tlocal branch name:", name, b.Merge, b.Remote)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/doExamine.go b/doExamine.go
index 20610da..8cac9d8 100644
--- a/doExamine.go
+++ b/doExamine.go
@@ -78,7 +78,30 @@ func isNormal(repo *gitpb.Repo) bool {
 
 func examineBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	if !isLocal(repo) {
-		repo.RunVerbose([]string{"ls", "-l", ".git/refs/remotes/origin"})
+		base := filepath.Base(repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+		if base == repo.GetUserBranchName() {
+			log.Info("The user branch also has a remote branch", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			log.Info("TODO: verify the remote branch is out of date", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			log.Info("TODO: delete the remote branch", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if repo.Exists(filepath.Join(".git/refs/heads", base)) {
+			repo.RunVerbose([]string{"ls", "-l", ".git/refs/remotes/origin"})
+			repo.RunVerbose([]string{"cat", filepath.Join(".git/refs/remotes/origin", base)})
+			repo.RunVerbose([]string{"cat", filepath.Join(".git/refs/heads", base)})
+			log.Info("why is this local branch a problem?", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+		} else {
+			repo.RunVerbose([]string{"ls", "-l", ".git/refs/remotes/origin"})
+			log.Info("why is this non-local branch a problem?", repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
+			r, err := repo.RunVerbose([]string{"cat", filepath.Join(".git/refs/remotes/origin", base)})
+			if err == nil {
+				cmd := []string{"git", "show", "-s", "--format=\"%H %ae %as %s\"", r.Stdout[0]}
+				repo.RunVerbose(cmd)
+				log.Info(cmd)
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s repo.CurrentTag is not local: %s. Don't proceed yet", repo.GetGoPath(), repo.CurrentTag.Refname)
 	}
 	dcount, err := showNotMaster(repo)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 24213d0..395a318 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ func main() {
 		okExit("")
 	}
 
+	if argv.Clean != nil {
+		doClean()
+		okExit("")
+	}
+
 	if argv.Dirty != nil {
 		doDirty()
 		okExit("")