diff --git a/lib/create/create.go b/lib/create/create.go
index aeb1b38a8..6332b0710 100644
--- a/lib/create/create.go
+++ b/lib/create/create.go
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ func setupTmpdir(url, ver string) (tmpdir, subdir string, err error) {
 
 func runCreator(R *gencmd.Runtime, extra, inputs []string) (err error) {
 
+	if R.Flags.Verbosity > 0 {
+		fmt.Println("running creator with:", extra, inputs)
+	}
+
 	if len(R.Generators) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("no generators found, please make sure there is a creator at the root of the repository")
 	}
diff --git a/lib/mod/get.go b/lib/mod/get.go
index 16ebc67fb..069de5035 100644
--- a/lib/mod/get.go
+++ b/lib/mod/get.go
@@ -94,10 +94,11 @@ func updateOne(cm *CueMod, path, ver string, rflags flags.RootPflagpole, gflags
 	}
 
 	// check for already required at a version equal or greater (no downgrades with get)
+	// HMMM, let's remove this restriction, GO supports downgrading, let's inform the user
 	currVer, ok := cm.Require[path]
 	if ok {
-		if semver.Compare(currVer, ver) >= 0 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s@%s is already required", path, currVer)
+		if semver.Compare(currVer, ver) > 0 {
+			fmt.Printf("Downgrading: %s from %s to %s\n", path, currVer, ver)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/mod/testdata/get__update_all_deps.txt b/lib/mod/testdata/get__update_all_deps.txt
index 222af2bdc..e9884733c 100644
--- a/lib/mod/testdata/get__update_all_deps.txt
+++ b/lib/mod/testdata/get__update_all_deps.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ require: {
 indirect: {
 	"github.com/hofstadter-io/cuelm":      "v0.2.0"
 	"github.com/hofstadter-io/ghacue":     "v0.2.0"
-	"github.com/hofstadter-io/hofmod-cli": "v0.8.6"
+	"github.com/hofstadter-io/hofmod-cli": "v0.8.8"
 	"github.com/hofstadter-io/supacode":   "v0.0.7"
 }
diff --git a/lib/mod/tidy.go b/lib/mod/tidy.go
index af13cf455..3a16ef1a6 100644
--- a/lib/mod/tidy.go
+++ b/lib/mod/tidy.go
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ func Tidy(rflags flags.RootPflagpole) (error) {
 
 func (cm *CueMod) UpgradePseudoVersions() (err error) {
 	for path, dep := range cm.Replace {
-		ver, _ := cache.UpgradePseudoVersion(dep.Path, dep.Version)
+		ver, err := cache.UpgradePseudoVersion(dep.Path, dep.Version)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		dep.Version = ver
 		cm.Replace[path] = dep
 	}
@@ -57,7 +60,10 @@ func (cm *CueMod) UpgradePseudoVersions() (err error) {
 		if _, ok := cm.Replace[path]; ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		ver, _ = cache.UpgradePseudoVersion(path, ver)
+		ver, err = cache.UpgradePseudoVersion(path, ver)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		cm.Require[path] = ver
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/repos/cache/info.go b/lib/repos/cache/info.go
index ee1ec6ca1..33da5cfd9 100644
--- a/lib/repos/cache/info.go
+++ b/lib/repos/cache/info.go
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ func GetBranchLatestHash(path, branch string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return branch, err
 	}
+
 	// open repo
 	R, err := OpenRepoSource(path)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -170,15 +171,25 @@ func GetBranchLatestHash(path, branch string) (string, error) {
 		Branch: plumbing.NewRemoteReferenceName("origin", branch),
 		Force: true,
 	})
-	if err == nil {
-		h, err := R.Head()
-		if err != nil {
-			return branch, err
+	if err != nil {
+		// if error checking out branch name, try to check out a hash
+		herr := wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
+			Hash:  plumbing.NewHash(branch),
+			Force: true,
+		})
+		// if no error, we can return "branch" which is a commit
+		if herr == nil {
+			return branch, nil
 		}
-		return h.Hash().String(), nil
+		// else, we can return the "ref not found" error from the first checkout
+		return branch, err
 	}
 
-	return branch, nil
+	h, err := R.Head()
+	if err != nil {
+		return branch, err
+	}
+	return h.Hash().String(), nil
 }
 
 func UpgradePseudoVersion(path, ver string) (s string, err error) {
@@ -198,10 +209,10 @@ func UpgradePseudoVersion(path, ver string) (s string, err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// branch? need to find commit
+	// branch? need to find commit, what if branch does not exist
 	nver, err := GetHashForNamedRef(path, ver)
 	if err != nil {
-		return ver, err
+		return ver, fmt.Errorf("while upgrading pseudo version for %s@%s: %w", path, ver, err)
 	}
 	if nver != "" {
 		ver = nver
diff --git a/lib/repos/cache/load.go b/lib/repos/cache/load.go
index cdf88d260..3fd7c1bea 100644
--- a/lib/repos/cache/load.go
+++ b/lib/repos/cache/load.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
-	"strings"
+	// "strings"
 
 	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5/osfs"
@@ -45,10 +45,11 @@ func init() {
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
+
 		// workaround for running in TestScript tool
-		if strings.HasPrefix(d, "/no-home") {
-			d = strings.TrimPrefix(d, "/")
-		}
+		//if strings.HasPrefix(d, "/no-home") {
+		//  d = strings.TrimPrefix(d, "/")
+		//}
 
 		// save to hof dir for cache across projects
 		cacheBaseDir = filepath.Join(d, "hof")
@@ -187,7 +188,6 @@ func CacheModule(url, ver string) (billy.Filesystem, error) {
 		cacheLock.Lock()
 		defer cacheLock.Unlock()
 
-		// fmt.Println("FETCH:", url, ver)
 		// we are smarter here and check to see if the tag already exists
 		// this will both clone new & sync existing repos as needed
 		// when ver != "", it will only fetch if the tag is not found
diff --git a/lib/repos/cache/write.go b/lib/repos/cache/write.go
index 7ade0253c..ae5533107 100644
--- a/lib/repos/cache/write.go
+++ b/lib/repos/cache/write.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5/osfs"
 	gogit "github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
+	"golang.org/x/mod/semver"
 
 	"github.com/hofstadter-io/hof/lib/repos/utils"
 	"github.com/hofstadter-io/hof/lib/yagu"
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ func CopyRepoTag(path, ver string) (string, error) {
 	if debug {
 		fmt.Println("cache.CopyRepoTag:", path, ver)
 	}
+
+	// HMMM, upgrade pseudoversion here?
+
 	remote, owner, repo := utils.ParseModURL(path)
 	dir := SourceOutdir(remote, owner, repo)
 
@@ -85,47 +89,58 @@ func CopyRepoTag(path, ver string) (string, error) {
 		return ver, fmt.Errorf("(crt) worktree error: %w for %s@%s", err, path, ver)
 	}
 
+	// we aren't really using this, but want to think through the logic and make it available
+	verType := "branch"
+	if semver.IsValid(ver) {
+		verType = "tag"
+	}
+
 	lver := ver
+	// trim the prefix from module versions that are actually commits
+	// then using the commit hash for checkout
 	parts := strings.Split(lver, "-")
 	if strings.HasPrefix(lver, "v0.0.0-") {
 		lver = strings.Join(parts[2:], "-")
+		verType = "commit"
 	}
 
-	// fmt.Println("PVL", path, ver, lver)
+	if debug {
+		fmt.Println("PVL", path, ver, lver, verType)
+	}
 
-	// checkout tag
-	err = wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
-		Branch: plumbing.NewTagReferenceName(lver),
-		Force:  true,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		// fmt.Printf("(crt) -- checkout error: %v for %s@%s\n", err, path, ver)
+	// what we are doing here is trying to checkout the right thing
+	// before doing the copy
+	// choices are: [tag, branch, commit]
+	// maybe any commit inputs should already have been upgraded?
+	// going with this for now, we should catch an error in tests
+	// and ensure there is a test, then remove these last few comment lines
+
+	// checkout ref
+	switch verType {
+	case "tag":
+		err = wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
+			Branch: plumbing.NewTagReferenceName(lver),
+			Force:  true,
+		})
+
+	case "commit":
+		err = wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
+			Hash:  plumbing.NewHash(lver),
+			Force: true,
+		})
 
-		// err = fmt.Errorf("(crt) checkout error: %w for %s@%s", err, path, ver)
-		// try branch
+	case "branch":
 		err = wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
 			Branch: plumbing.NewRemoteReferenceName("origin", lver),
 			Force:  true,
 		})
 
-		if err != nil {
-			err = wt.Checkout(&gogit.CheckoutOptions{
-				Hash:  plumbing.NewHash(lver),
-				Force: true,
-			})
-			if err != nil {
-				return ver, fmt.Errorf("(crt) checkout error: unable to find version %q for module %q: %w", ver, path, err)
-			}
-
-		} else {
-			h, err := R.Head()
-			lver = strings.Join(append(parts[:2], h.Hash().String()), "-")
-			fmt.Println("Checking out branch:", path, ver, lver, err)
-			ver = lver
-		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 
-	// copy
+	// Now we can copy from src to mods
 	FS := osfs.New(dir)
 	err = Write(remote, owner, repo, ver, FS)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/lib/repos/git/fetch.go b/lib/repos/git/fetch.go
index e57c5f836..c12bf9754 100644
--- a/lib/repos/git/fetch.go
+++ b/lib/repos/git/fetch.go
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ func IsNetworkReachable(ctx context.Context, mod string) (bool, error) {
 	return err == nil, nil
 }
 
-func SyncSource(dir, remote, owner, repo, ver string) error {
+func SyncSource(dir, remote, owner, repo string) error {
 	url := path.Join(remote, owner, repo)
 	if debug {
-		fmt.Println("git.SyncSource:", dir, remote, owner, repo, ver, url)
+		fmt.Println("git.SyncSource:", dir, remote, owner, repo, url)
 	}
 	_, err := os.Lstat(dir)
 	// does not exist
diff --git a/lib/repos/remote/remote.go b/lib/repos/remote/remote.go
index a5badeeff..0df7b3fd9 100644
--- a/lib/repos/remote/remote.go
+++ b/lib/repos/remote/remote.go
@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ func NewRemote(mod string, mir *Mirrors) *Remote {
 func (r *Remote) Pull(ctx context.Context, dir, ver string) error {
 	switch r.kind {
 	case KindGit:
-		if err := git.SyncSource(dir, r.Host, r.Owner, r.Name, ver); err != nil {
+		// ensure we have up-to-date code in .cache/hof/src/<module>
+		if err := git.SyncSource(dir, r.Host, r.Owner, r.Name); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("git sync source: %w", err)
 		}
+
 	case KindOCI:
 		// extract hash from version
 		if strings.HasPrefix(ver, "v0.0.0-") {
diff --git a/test/create/test_01/Makefile b/test/create/test_01/Makefile
index 51cf7b9db..eb682e177 100644
--- a/test/create/test_01/Makefile
+++ b/test/create/test_01/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 test:
-	hof create github.com/hofstadter-io/hofmod-cli@v0.8.3 -I @input.cue -O out
+	hof create github.com/hofstadter-io/hofmod-cli@v0.8.8 -I @input.cue -O out
 	cd out && make first
 	rm -rf out
diff --git a/test/create/test_01/input.cue b/test/create/test_01/input.cue
index e23e84492..47ed93c24 100644
--- a/test/create/test_01/input.cue
+++ b/test/create/test_01/input.cue
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: "foo"
-repo: "github.com/hof/test"
-about: "testing example"
+name:     "foo"
+repo:     "github.com/hof/test"
+about:    "testing example"
 releases: false