diff --git a/doClean.go b/doClean.go
index 192e148..29154a0 100644
--- a/doClean.go
+++ b/doClean.go
@@ -14,68 +14,11 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-func checkRemoteBranches(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
-	if err := repo.ReloadCheck(); err != nil {
-		log.Info("need to reload", repo.FullPath)
-	}
-	if repo.VerifyRemoteAndLocalBranches(repo.GetDevelBranchName()) {
-	} else {
-		return log.Errorf("remote devel is out of sync with local: todo: git pull or git fetch")
-	}
-	if repo.VerifyRemoteAndLocalBranches(repo.GetMasterBranchName()) {
-	} else {
-		return log.Errorf("remote master is out of sync with local: todo: git pull or git fetch")
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-/*
-if repo.DevelSubsetOfUser() {
-	repo.DeleteDevel()
-}
-
-if repo.UserSubsetOfDevel() {
-	repo.DeleteUser()
-}
-
-if repo.MasterSubsetOfDevel() {
-}
-
-if "user".IsSubset("devel") {
-if repo("user") >= repo("devel") {
-
-if repo.FirstIsIncludedInSecond("devel", "user") {
-
-if repo.IsSubset("user", "devel") {
-	// delete user
-} else {
-	// figure out what to do
-}
-*/
-
 // reverts all repos back to the original master branches
 // automatically deletes local devel and user branches
 func doClean() error {
 	setForgeMode(forgepb.ForgeMode_CLEAN)
 
-	/*
-		if argv.Clean.Verify != nil {
-			stats := me.forge.RillRepos(checkRemoteBranches)
-			for path, stat := range stats {
-				if stat.Err == nil {
-					continue
-				}
-				dur := stat.End.Sub(stat.Start)
-				if dur > time.Second {
-					log.Infof("%s checkRemoteBranches() took a long time (%s) (err=%v)\n", path, shell.FormatDuration(dur), stat.Err)
-				}
-			}
-			// log.Infof("%-60s, %-60s %v %s\n", stat.Start, stat.End.String(), dur, path)
-			// log.Infof("%-30v %s %v\n", dur, path, stat.Err)
-			return nil
-		}
-	*/
-
 	// fix this to work, then delete all the other options for "forge clean'
 	if err := me.forge.DoAllCheckoutMaster(); err != nil {
 		// badExit(err)
@@ -101,6 +44,7 @@ func doClean() error {
 			if err == ErrorBranchUnique {
 				if argv.Clean.Fix != nil {
 					bname := repo.GetUserBranchName()
+					checkPatchIds(repo, repo.GetUserBranchName(), repo.GetMasterBranchName())
 					s := fmt.Sprintf("delete this odd user (%s) branch %s?", bname, repo.FullPath)
 					if fhelp.QuestionUser(s) {
 						repo.RunVerbose([]string{"git", "branch", "-D", bname})
@@ -169,11 +113,6 @@ func doClean() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-/*
-	func doesLocalBranchExist(repo *gitpb.Repo, branch string) bool {
-		return repo.Exists(filepath.Join(".git/refs/heads", branch))
-	}
-*/
 func doRepoCleanDevel(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	if !repo.IsLocalBranch(repo.GetDevelBranchName()) {
 		// there is no local branch named 'devel'
@@ -190,6 +129,7 @@ func doRepoCleanDevel(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 		log.Info("justDeleteTheDevel() err", repo.GetGoPath(), err)
 		if argv.Clean.Fix != nil {
 			bname := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+			checkPatchIds(repo, repo.GetDevelBranchName(), repo.GetMasterBranchName())
 			s := fmt.Sprintf("delete this odd devel (%s) branch %s?", bname, repo.FullPath)
 			if fhelp.QuestionUser(s) {
 				repo.RunVerbose([]string{"git", "branch", "-D", bname})
@@ -251,9 +191,6 @@ func doRepoCleanUser(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if argv.Clean.Fix != nil {
-	}
-
 	return ErrorBranchUnique
 }
 
@@ -318,3 +255,27 @@ func doGitReset() {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func checkRemoteBranches(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	if err := repo.ReloadCheck(); err != nil {
+		log.Info("need to reload", repo.FullPath)
+	}
+	if repo.VerifyRemoteAndLocalBranches(repo.GetDevelBranchName()) {
+	} else {
+		return log.Errorf("remote devel is out of sync with local: todo: git pull or git fetch")
+	}
+	if repo.VerifyRemoteAndLocalBranches(repo.GetMasterBranchName()) {
+	} else {
+		return log.Errorf("remote master is out of sync with local: todo: git pull or git fetch")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func checkPatchIds(repo *gitpb.Repo, b1 string, b2 string) error {
+	s1 := fmt.Sprintf("%s..%s", b1, b2)
+	s2 := fmt.Sprintf("%s..%s", b2, b1)
+	repo.RunVerbose([]string{"git", "rev-list", s1})
+	repo.RunVerbose([]string{"git", "rev-list", s2})
+
+	return nil
+}