diff --git a/doDirty.go b/doDirty.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e9f609
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doDirty.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// Copyright 2017-2025 WIT.COM Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by the GPL 3.0
+
+package forgepb
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func (f *Forge) CheckDirty() *gitpb.Repos {
+	start := f.straightCheckDirty()
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	f.RillFuncError(doCheckDirty)
+	end := f.straightCheckDirty()
+	diff := end - start
+	log.Printf("dirty check (%d dirty repos) (%d total repos) (%d changed) took:%s\n", end, f.Repos.Len(), diff, shell.FormatDuration(time.Since(now)))
+
+	// todo: actually detect if this needs to be changed?
+	f.SetConfigSave(true)
+	f.ConfigSave()
+
+	return f.FindDirty()
+}
+
+func (f *Forge) straightCheckDirty() int {
+	var count int
+	for repo := range f.Repos.IterAll() {
+		if repo.IsDirty() {
+			count += 1
+		}
+	}
+	return count
+}
+
+func doCheckDirty(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	repo.CheckDirty()
+	// reset these in here for now
+	if repo.GetTargetVersion() != "" {
+		repo.TargetVersion = ""
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *Forge) FindDirty() *gitpb.Repos {
+	found := gitpb.NewRepos()
+
+	for repo := range f.Repos.IterByFullPath() {
+		if repo.IsDirty() {
+			found.AppendByFullPath(repo)
+		}
+	}
+	return found
+}