diff --git a/findNext.go b/findNext.go
index f77c38f..76d3c3a 100644
--- a/findNext.go
+++ b/findNext.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func runGoClean(check *gitpb.Repo) bool {
 	// check if the package dependancies changed, if so, re-publish
 	check.GoDeps = nil
 
-	cmd := []string{"go-mod-clean", "--strict"}
+	cmd := []string{"go-mod-clean", "--strict", "--force"}
 	log.Info("Running", cmd, "in", check.GoPath)
 	result := check.RunRealtime(cmd)
 	if result.Error != nil {
diff --git a/prepareRelease.go b/prepareRelease.go
index 70d829b..fc6a06e 100644
--- a/prepareRelease.go
+++ b/prepareRelease.go
@@ -29,33 +29,6 @@ func makePrepareRelease() {
 		check.SetTargetVersion(curver)
 	}
 
-	// run go-mod-clean on everything not readonly
-	all = me.forge.Repos.SortByGoPath()
-	for all.Scan() {
-		check := all.Next()
-
-		if me.forge.Config.IsReadOnly(check.GoPath) {
-			// can't release readonly repos
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if ok, err := check.IsPrimitive(); !ok {
-			log.Info("something wrong with", check.GoPath, err)
-			// no go.sum file for these
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if check.Exists("go.sum") {
-			// probably already ran
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// run go-mod-clean on every repo to start
-		if !runGoClean(check) {
-			log.Info("go-mod-clean FAILED. THIS IS BAD.", check.GoPath)
-		}
-	}
-
 	all = me.forge.Repos.SortByGoPath()
 	for all.Scan() {
 		check := all.Next()
@@ -95,7 +68,7 @@ func makePrepareRelease() {
 			check.Run([]string{"git", "notes", "remove"})
 		}
 		if !runGoClean(check) {
-			log.Info("go-mod-clean FAILED. THIS IS BAD.", check.GoPath)
+			log.Info("go-mod-clean probably failed here. that's ok", check.GoPath)
 		}
 
 	}