diff --git a/configfile.go b/configfile.go
index a65de5c..c6f79ed 100644
--- a/configfile.go
+++ b/configfile.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package repolist
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -142,22 +143,39 @@ func (rl *RepoList) ArgCheckoutUser() bool {
 }
 
 func (rl *RepoList) ArgGitPull() bool {
+	var localonly int
+	var badmap int
+
 	log.Log(REPOWARN, "running git pull everywhere")
-	cmd := []string{"git", "pull"}
 	var failed int = 0
 	for _, repo := range rl.AllRepos() {
-		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Running:", repo.Status.Path(), cmd)
-		err, output := repo.RunCmd(cmd)
-		if err == nil {
-			log.Log(REPOWARN, output)
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Running:", repo.Status.Path())
+		if err := repo.Status.GitPull(); err == nil {
 		} else {
 			failed += 1
-			log.Log(REPOWARN, "Something went wrong. Got err", err)
-			log.Log(REPOWARN, "output =", output)
+			repo.Status.DumpTags()
+			name := repo.Status.GetCurrentBranchName()
+			if repo.Status.IsOnlyLocalTag(name) {
+				log.Log(REPOWARN, repo.Status.Path(), "can not git pull on local only branch", name, err)
+			} else {
+				log.Log(REPOWARN, repo.Status.Path(), "this branch should have worked", name, err)
+			}
+			if fmt.Sprint(err) == "git config error" {
+				badmap += 1
+				continue
+			}
+			if fmt.Sprint(err) == "local only" {
+				localonly += 1
+				continue
+			}
 			return false
 		}
 	}
 	log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git pull in all repos. failure count =", failed)
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git pull in all repos. git config map errors =", badmap)
+	if localonly != 0 {
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git pull in all repos. ignored local only branches =", localonly)
+	}
 	return true
 }
 
diff --git a/newRepo.go b/newRepo.go
index 828ba60..d2debed 100644
--- a/newRepo.go
+++ b/newRepo.go
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ func (r *RepoList) makeAutotypistView(newRepo *RepoRow) {
 	})
 
 	newRepo.endBox.NewButton("commit all", func() {
+		if ! newRepo.Status.IsUserBranch() {
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "can not commit on non user branch")
+			return
+		}
 		r.reposbox.Disable()
 		// restore anything staged so everything can be reviewed
 		newRepo.Status.RunCmd([]string{"git", "restore", "--staged", "."})