diff --git a/currentVersions.go b/currentVersions.go
index e844831..8b9d16f 100644
--- a/currentVersions.go
+++ b/currentVersions.go
@@ -14,29 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-func (repo *Repo) GetLastTag() string {
-	cmd := []string{"git", "rev-list", "--tags", "--max-count=1"}
-	result := repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
-	// log.Info("getLastTagVersion()", result.Stdout)
-
-	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
-		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
-		return ""
-	}
-
-	hash := result.Stdout[0]
-
-	cmd = []string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always", hash}
-	result = repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
-
-	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
-		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
-		return ""
-	}
-
-	return result.Stdout[0]
-}
-
 func (repo *Repo) GetMasterVersion() string {
 	bname := repo.GetMasterBranchName()
 	v, err := repo.gitVersionByName(bname)
@@ -78,6 +55,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetUserVersion() string {
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+now tracked in repo.Reload()
 func (repo *Repo) GetCurrentBranchName() string {
 	r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "branch", "--show-current"})
 	output := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
@@ -87,6 +66,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetCurrentBranchName() string {
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(output)
 }
+*/
 
 // this is used often. probably move everything to this
 // returns things like
@@ -105,21 +85,6 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetCurrentVersion() string {
 	return bver
 }
 
-// always spawns 'git' and always should spawn 'git'
-func (repo *Repo) GetCurrentBranchVersion() string {
-	if repo == nil {
-		log.Info("repo.GetCurrentBranchVersion() repo == nil")
-		return ""
-	}
-	r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always"})
-	output := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
-	if r.Error != nil {
-		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchVersion() not in a git repo?", r.Error, repo.GoPath)
-		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchVersion() output might have worked anyway:", output)
-	}
-	return strings.TrimSpace(output)
-}
-
 func (repo *Repo) gitDescribeByHash(hash string) (string, error) {
 	if hash == "" {
 		return "", errors.New("hash was blank")
@@ -135,13 +100,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) gitDescribeByHash(hash string) (string, error) {
 
 // this should get the most recent tag
 func (repo *Repo) GetLastTagVersion() string {
-	r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "rev-list", "--tags", "--max-count=1"})
-	hash := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
-	hash = strings.TrimSpace(hash)
-	log.Log(GITPB, "getLastTagVersion()", hash)
-
-	name, _ := repo.gitDescribeByHash(hash)
-	return name
+	return repo.LastTag
 }
 
 func (repo *Repo) DebianReleaseVersion() string {
diff --git a/reload.go b/reload.go
index 7a8c212..7c910d3 100644
--- a/reload.go
+++ b/reload.go
@@ -1,14 +1,27 @@
 package gitpb
 
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
 func (repo *Repo) Reload() error {
 	repo.Tags = new(GitTags)
-	repo.UpdateGitTags()
+	repo.reloadGitTags()
+
 	repo.GoDeps = new(GoDeps)
 	repo.ParseGoSum()
 
 	if repo.GoInfo != nil {
 		repo.ReloadGo()
 	}
+
+	repo.setLastTag()
+	repo.setCurrentBranchName()
+
+	// everything has been checked, now save the mtime's
+	repo.RepoChanged()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -37,3 +50,56 @@ func (repo *Repo) SetDevelBranchName(bname string) {
 func (repo *Repo) SetUserBranchName(bname string) {
 	repo.UserBranchName = bname
 }
+
+// updates LastTag // todo, get this from the protobuf
+func (repo *Repo) setLastTag() {
+	cmd := []string{"git", "rev-list", "--tags", "--max-count=1"}
+	result := repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
+	// log.Info("getLastTagVersion()", result.Stdout)
+
+	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
+		repo.LastTag = ""
+		return
+	}
+
+	hash := result.Stdout[0]
+
+	cmd = []string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always", hash}
+	result = repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
+
+	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
+		repo.LastTag = ""
+		return
+	}
+
+	repo.LastTag = result.Stdout[0]
+}
+
+func (repo *Repo) setCurrentBranchName() {
+	repo.CurrentBranchName = ""
+	r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "branch", "--show-current"})
+	output := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
+	if r.Error != nil {
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchName() not in a git repo?", r.Error, repo.GoPath)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchName() output might have worked anyway:", output)
+	}
+	repo.CurrentBranchName = strings.TrimSpace(output)
+}
+
+// always spawns 'git' and always should spawn 'git'
+func (repo *Repo) setCurrentBranchVersion() {
+	repo.CurrentBranchVersion = ""
+	if repo == nil {
+		log.Info("repo.GetCurrentBranchVersion() repo == nil")
+		return
+	}
+	r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always"})
+	output := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
+	if r.Error != nil {
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchVersion() not in a git repo?", r.Error, repo.GoPath)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "GetCurrentBranchVersion() output might have worked anyway:", output)
+	}
+	repo.CurrentBranchVersion = strings.TrimSpace(output)
+}
diff --git a/checkDirty.go b/reloadCheckDirty.go
similarity index 89%
rename from checkDirty.go
rename to reloadCheckDirty.go
index 83b049d..c865c21 100644
--- a/checkDirty.go
+++ b/reloadCheckDirty.go
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ package gitpb
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
 func (repo *Repo) NoteChange(s string) {
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) CheckDirty() bool {
 		}
 	}
 
+	pbnow := timestamppb.New(time.Now())
+	repo.Times.LastDirty = pbnow
 	return bad
 
 }
diff --git a/isTracked.go b/reloadIsTracked.go
similarity index 96%
rename from isTracked.go
rename to reloadIsTracked.go
index b15db02..9e44b2a 100644
--- a/isTracked.go
+++ b/reloadIsTracked.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) isIgnored(file string) (bool, error) {
 // for now, check if this repo should be ignored
 // TODO: go.mod and go.sum should be moved to git tag metadata
 func (repo *Repo) RepoIgnoresGoMod() error {
+	repo.GoInfo.GitIgnoresGoSum = false
 	file := "go.mod"
 	if tracked, err := repo.isTracked(file); err != nil {
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf("%s Error checking if %s tracked: %v\n", repo.GoPath, file, err)
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) RepoIgnoresGoMod() error {
 	} else {
 		if ignored {
 			fmt.Printf("%s %s is ignored by Git.\n", repo.GoPath, file)
+			repo.GoInfo.GitIgnoresGoSum = true
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/repoType.go b/reloadRepoType.go
similarity index 100%
rename from repoType.go
rename to reloadRepoType.go
diff --git a/gitTag.update.go b/reloadTags.go
similarity index 97%
rename from gitTag.update.go
rename to reloadTags.go
index c8a35c3..e8409dc 100644
--- a/gitTag.update.go
+++ b/reloadTags.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 	timestamppb "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
-// Update repo.Refs from .git/
-func (repo *Repo) UpdateGitTags() error {
+// reload the tags
+func (repo *Repo) reloadGitTags() error {
 	// todo: look for changes in the tags?
 	repo.Tags = new(GitTags)
 
diff --git a/repo.new.go b/repo.new.go
index 10b5fcb..ca224e2 100644
--- a/repo.new.go
+++ b/repo.new.go
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ func (all *Repos) NewGoRepo(fullpath string, gopath string) (*Repo, error) {
 	newr := Repo{
 		FullPath: fullpath,
 	}
+	newr.Times = new(GitTimes)
+
 	newr.GoInfo = new(GoInfo)
 	newr.GoInfo.GoPath = gopath
 
diff --git a/repo.proto b/repo.proto
index 71f3010..6730af9 100644
--- a/repo.proto
+++ b/repo.proto
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ message Repo {						// `autogenpb:marshal`
         GitTimes   times			= 25; 		// store all the mtime values here. these are temporary
         GoInfo  goInfo  			= 26; 		// put all the go specifcs here
 	string	stateChange			= 27; 		// reason for state change
+	string	lastTag 			= 28; 		// the oldest tag
+	string 	currentBranchName		= 29; 		// the branch currently checked out
+	string 	currentBranchVersion		= 30; 		// the branch currently checked out
 }
 
 message Repos {				// `autogenpb:marshal`
@@ -71,4 +74,5 @@ message GoInfo {
 	GoDeps	published			= 9;		// the last published go.mod/go.sum
 	bytes	goMod				= 10; 		// the last go.mod file
 	bytes	goSum				= 11; 		// the last go.sum file
+	bool	gitIgnoresGoSum                 = 12;		// does .gitignore ignore go.mod & go.sum?
 }
diff --git a/shell.go b/shell.go
index 3d15eee..ce000e5 100644
--- a/shell.go
+++ b/shell.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) Exists(filename string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (repo *Repo) IsValid() bool {
+func (repo *Repo) IsValidDir() bool {
 	if repo == nil {
 		return false
 	}