diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 16e9324..0967148 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,17 +6,13 @@ BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 # make gocui     # try the ncurses gui plugin
 # make andlabs   # try the andlabs gui plugin (uses GTK)
 
-default: verbose install
-	forge patch
+default: install-verbose
+	forge patch list
 
 vet:
 	@GO111MODULE=off go vet
 	@echo this go binary package builds okay
 
-verbose: goimports vet plugin
-	GO111MODULE=off go install -v -x \
-		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
-
 build: goimports vet plugin
 	GO111MODULE=off go build \
 		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
@@ -26,6 +22,10 @@ install: goimports plugin
 		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
 	cp -f ~/go/bin/forge ~/go/bin/last.forge # this is a hack so that go-deb can build a .deb file for forge # TODO: remove this
 
+install-verbose: goimports vet plugin
+	GO111MODULE=off go install -v -x \
+		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
+
 install-raw: goimports vet plugin
 	go install \
 		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
diff --git a/doGui.go b/doGui.go
index 79e3e56..b2b08cb 100644
--- a/doGui.go
+++ b/doGui.go
@@ -179,20 +179,9 @@ func drawWindow(win *gadgets.GenericWindow) {
 			patchesWin.Toggle()
 			return
 		}
-		// load the current patches protobuf file
-		if err := me.forge.LoadPatchsets(); err != nil {
-			log.Info("patches failed to open", err)
-			if err := me.forge.SavePatchsets(); err != nil {
-				log.Warn("savePatchsets() failed", err)
-			}
-		}
 		// patchesWin = makePatchesWin(me.forge.Patchsets)
 		notdone := new(forgepb.Patches)
 
-		if me.forge.Patchsets == nil {
-			log.Info("patchsets == nil")
-			return
-		}
 		all := me.forge.Patchsets.All()
 		for all.Scan() {
 			pset := all.Next()
@@ -203,6 +192,7 @@ func drawWindow(win *gadgets.GenericWindow) {
 			AddAllPatches(notdone, pset, false)
 			// AddNotDonePatches(notdone, pset, false)
 		}
+		notdone.PrintTable()
 
 		patchesWin = makePatchesWin(notdone)
 	})
diff --git a/doPatch.go b/doPatch.go
index 50e12de..b6cf0dd 100644
--- a/doPatch.go
+++ b/doPatch.go
@@ -10,14 +10,19 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-func doPatch() error {
+func doPatchInit() {
+	if me.forge.Patchsets != nil {
+		log.Info("IGNORE: patches already initalized")
+	}
 	if err := me.forge.LoadPatchsets(); err != nil {
 		log.Info("patches failed to open", err)
 		if err := me.forge.SavePatchsets(); err != nil {
 			log.Warn("savePatchsets() failed", err)
 		}
 	}
+}
 
+func doPatch() error {
 	if argv.Patch.Submit != nil {
 		_, err := me.forge.SubmitDevelPatchSet(argv.Patch.Submit.Match)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -43,21 +48,35 @@ func doPatch() error {
 	}
 
 	if argv.Patch.Check != nil {
-		for pset := range me.forge.Patchsets.IterAll() {
-			log.Info(pset.Uuid)
-			for patch := range pset.Patches.IterAll() {
-				if repo, ok := me.forge.IsPatchApplied(patch); ok {
-					log.Info("found patch in repo", repo.Namespace, patch.Filename)
-				} else {
-					// log.Info("did not find patch", patch.CommitHash, patch.NewHash, patch.Filename)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		// me.forge.Patchsets.PrintTable()
+		log.Info("remove this option")
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	if argv.Patch.List != nil {
+		var changed bool
+		for pset := range me.forge.Patchsets.IterAll() {
+			log.Info(pset.Uuid)
+			for patch := range pset.Patches.IterAll() {
+				if setNewCommitHash(patch) {
+					changed = true
+				}
+			}
+
+			/*
+				for patch := range pset.Patches.IterAll() {
+					if repo, ok := me.forge.IsPatchApplied(patch); ok {
+						log.Info("\tfound patch in repo", repo.Namespace, patch.Filename)
+					} else {
+						log.Info("\tdid not find patch", patch.CommitHash, patch.NewHash, patch.Filename)
+					}
+				}
+			*/
+		}
+		if changed {
+			if err := me.forge.SavePatchsets(); err != nil {
+				log.Warn("savePatchsets() failed", err)
+			}
+		}
 		me.forge.Patchsets.PrintTable()
 		// return doPatchList()
 		return nil
diff --git a/helperPatches.go b/helperPatches.go
index bb19a39..2d2d90c 100644
--- a/helperPatches.go
+++ b/helperPatches.go
@@ -154,36 +154,52 @@ func findCommitBySubject(subject string) (string, error) {
 	return "", fmt.Errorf("no commit found for subject: %s", subject)
 }
 
-func setNewCommitHash(p *forgepb.Patchset) bool {
+// returns true if PB changed
+func setNewCommitHash(patch *forgepb.Patch) bool {
+	// parts := strings.Fields(patch.Comment)
+
+	repo := me.forge.FindByGoPath(patch.Namespace)
+	if repo == nil {
+		log.Info("could not find repo", patch.Namespace)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	comment := cleanSubject(patch.Comment)
+
+	if patch.NewHash == "" {
+		log.Info("init() new patch to 'na' ", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.Namespace, comment)
+		patch.NewHash = "na"
+		return true
+	}
+	os.Chdir(repo.GetFullPath())
+	newhash, err := findCommitBySubject(comment)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("patch: not found hash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.Namespace, comment, newhash, err)
+		return false
+	}
+	if patch.NewHash == newhash {
+		// patch was already set
+		return false
+	}
+	if patch.NewHash != "na" {
+		log.Infof("patch: hash MISMATCH %s old=%s new=%s name=%s\n", patch.Namespace, patch.NewHash, newhash, comment)
+		return false
+	}
+	patch.NewHash = newhash
+	log.Info("patch: found hash:", patch.CommitHash, newhash, patch.Namespace, comment)
+	return true
+}
+
+/*
+func setNewCommitHashLoop(p *forgepb.Patchset) bool {
 	var done bool = true
 	for patch := range p.Patches.IterAll() {
-		// parts := strings.Fields(patch.Comment)
-
-		repo := me.forge.FindByGoPath(patch.Namespace)
-		if repo == nil {
-			log.Info("could not find repo", patch.Namespace)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		comment := cleanSubject(patch.Comment)
-
-		if patch.NewHash != "na" {
-			log.Info("patch: newhash:", patch.NewHash, "commithash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.Namespace, comment)
-			continue
-		}
-		done = false
-		os.Chdir(repo.GetFullPath())
-		newhash, err := findCommitBySubject(comment)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Info("patch: not found hash:", patch.CommitHash, patch.Namespace, comment, newhash, err)
-			continue
-		}
-		patch.NewHash = newhash
-		log.Info("patch: found hash:", patch.CommitHash, newhash, patch.Namespace, comment)
+		setNewCommitHashLoop(patch)
 	}
 
 	return done
 }
+*/
 
 func AddAllPatches(notdone *forgepb.Patches, pset *forgepb.Patchset, full bool) {
 	for patch := range pset.Patches.IterAll() {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0285145..8dbefc5 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ func main() {
 	// load the ~/.config/forge/ config
 	me.forge = forgepb.Init()
 
+	// initialize patches
+	doPatchInit()
+
 	// first find the repos or gopaths to operate on
 	if argv.Config != nil {
 		doConfig()
diff --git a/windowPatches.go b/windowPatches.go
index 31ed924..c2d8c4b 100644
--- a/windowPatches.go
+++ b/windowPatches.go
@@ -133,13 +133,27 @@ func (dwin *stdPatchTableWin) doPatchesTable(currentPatches *forgepb.Patches) {
 }
 
 // used by the PB table
-func funcApplyPatch(p *forgepb.Patch) string {
+func applyPatchLabel(p *forgepb.Patch) string {
 	rn := p.Namespace
 	if repo := me.forge.FindByGoPath(rn); repo == nil {
 		// log.Info("Could not figure out repo path", rn)
 		return ""
 	}
-	return "git am"
+	if p.NewHash == "na" {
+		return "git am"
+	}
+	if p.NewHash == "" {
+		return "new"
+	}
+	return "done"
+}
+
+func applyPatchClick(p *forgepb.Patch) {
+	if err := applyPatchNew(p); err != nil {
+		log.Info("git am failed on file", p.Filename, "with error", err)
+		return
+	}
+	log.Info("ran: git am", p.Filename, "ok")
 }
 
 // define what rows to have in the protobuf table
@@ -148,21 +162,8 @@ func AddPatchesPB(tbox *gui.Node, pb *forgepb.Patches) *forgepb.PatchesTable {
 	t.NewUuid()
 	t.SetParent(tbox)
 
-	gitam := t.AddButtonFunc("apply", func(p *forgepb.Patch) string {
-		rn := p.Namespace
-		if repo := me.forge.FindByGoPath(rn); repo == nil {
-			// log.Info("Could not figure out repo path", rn)
-			return ""
-		}
-		return "git am"
-	})
-	gitam.Custom = func(p *forgepb.Patch) {
-		if err := applyPatchNew(p); err != nil {
-			log.Info("git am failed on file", p.Filename, "with error", err)
-			return
-		}
-		log.Info("ran: git am", p.Filename, "ok")
-	}
+	gitam := t.AddButtonFunc("apply", applyPatchLabel)
+	gitam.Custom = applyPatchClick
 
 	t.AddCommitHash()
 	t.AddNamespace()