diff --git a/doStrict.go b/doStrict.go
index 9d233b9..59439d7 100644
--- a/doStrict.go
+++ b/doStrict.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 func doStrict(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
+	var err error
+
 	if !repo.IsValidDir() {
 		log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "is invalid. fix your repos.pb file with 'forge' first")
 		log.Info("")
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ func doStrict(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 		return errors.New(repo.GetGoPath() + " not in the git master branch")
 	}
 
-	err := repo.RepoIgnoresGoMod()
+	err = repo.RepoIgnoresGoMod()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "some wierd git error happened. investigate.", err)
 		return err
@@ -57,11 +59,22 @@ func doStrict(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 	log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "GOING TO MAKE NEW go.* FILES")
 
 	// actually will re-create go.sum and go.mod now
-	if err := redoGoMod(repo); err != nil {
-		log.Info(repo.GetGoPath(), "redoGoMod() failed", err)
+	if _, err = repo.RunQuiet([]string{"go", "mod", "init", repo.GetGoPath()}); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("go mod init failed", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if repo.Exists("go.mod") {
+		// well, if go mod init fails, then we will just error since 'go mod init' almost never fails
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if _, err := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"go", "mod", "tidy", "-go=" + golangVersion}); err == nil {
+		// I guess the thing to do, if go mod tidy fails, is to just leave the repo alone
+		// it's either primitive or could be a go support project but not in go
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// the first time, it'll attempt to fix some stuff
 	cleanGoDepsCheckOk(repo)
 	// try to trim junk