diff --git a/gitCheckout.go b/gitCheckout.go
index c994c37..b0ccc18 100644
--- a/gitCheckout.go
+++ b/gitCheckout.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package forgepb
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
@@ -48,13 +51,69 @@ func (f *Forge) CheckoutDevel() bool {
 		if repo.CheckoutDevel() {
 			// checkout ok
 		} else {
-			failed += 1
+			dname := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+			if err := f.makeBranch(repo, dname); err != nil {
+				log.Info(repo.GoPath, "can not make devel branch", dname)
+				failed += 1
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	log.Log(FORGEPBWARN, "Ran git checkout in", count, "repos. failure count =", failed)
 	return true
 }
 
+func (f *Forge) MakeDevelBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	dname := repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+	if dname == "" {
+		dname = f.configDevelBranchName(repo)
+	}
+	if err := f.makeBranch(repo, dname); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	repo.DevelBranchName = dname
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *Forge) MakeUserBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	uname := repo.GetUserBranchName()
+	if uname == "" {
+		uname = f.configUserBranchName(repo)
+	}
+	if err := f.makeBranch(repo, uname); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	repo.UserBranchName = uname
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *Forge) makeBranch(repo *gitpb.Repo, bname string) error {
+	if repo.IsLocalBranch(bname) {
+		// branch already exists in refs/heads/
+		return nil
+	}
+	if repo.IsBranch(bname) {
+		// branch already exists refs/remotes/
+		return nil
+	} else {
+		log.Info("makeBranch() says", bname, "does not exist")
+		loop := repo.Tags.All()
+		for loop.Scan() {
+			t := loop.Next()
+			log.Info("LocalTagExists() tag:", t.Refname)
+		}
+	}
+	mname := repo.GetMasterBranchName()
+	cname := repo.GetCurrentBranchName()
+	if mname != cname {
+		return errors.New("can only make branches from master branch")
+	}
+	cmd := []string{"git", "branch", bname}
+	if err := repo.StrictRun(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (f *Forge) CheckoutMaster() bool {
 	log.Log(FORGEPBWARN, "running git checkout master everwhere")
 	var failed int = 0
diff --git a/repoNew.go b/repoNew.go
index 209f807..b87ee4c 100644
--- a/repoNew.go
+++ b/repoNew.go
@@ -74,3 +74,27 @@ func (f *Forge) VerifyBranchNames(newr *gitpb.Repo) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// todo: check the forge config
+func (f *Forge) configUserBranchName(repo *gitpb.Repo) string {
+	if repo.GetUserBranchName() != "" {
+		return repo.GetUserBranchName()
+	}
+	usr, _ := user.Current()
+	uname := usr.Username
+	return uname
+}
+
+// todo: check the forge config
+func (f *Forge) configDevelBranchName(repo *gitpb.Repo) string {
+	if repo.GetDevelBranchName() != "" {
+		return repo.GetDevelBranchName()
+	}
+	if repo.IsBranch("guidevel") {
+		return "guidevel"
+	}
+	if repo.IsBranch("devel") {
+		return "devel"
+	}
+	return "devel"
+}