diff --git a/bin/sde-update-manifest b/bin/sde-update-manifest
index a100953..b2539b8 100755
--- a/bin/sde-update-manifest
+++ b/bin/sde-update-manifest
@@ -18,28 +18,55 @@
 
 . "$SDEROOT/lib/libsde.in"
 
+WORKTREENAME="${SDEROOT##*/}"
 MANIFEST="$SDEROOT/etc/manifest.ini"
 
 manifest_update_git() {
-	local dir="$SDEROOT/$1" dirname="$1" GIT_DIR="$SDEROOT/$1/.git"
+	local dir="$SDEROOT/$1" dirname="$WORKTREENAME/$1" GIT_DIR="$SDEROOT/$1/.git"
        	local repo="$2" branch="$3"
 
 	if [ -d "$GIT_DIR" ]; then
-		local cur=$(GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git branch | grep ^* | cut -c3-)
-		local remote0=$(GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git config --get "branch.$cur.remote")
-		local branch0=$(GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git config --get "branch.$cur.merge" | cut -d/ -f3-)
-		local repo0=$(GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git config --get "remote.$remote0.url")
-		if [ "${repo#git+}" != "${repo0#git+}" ]; then
-			echo_warning "$dirname: repo mismatch ($repo vs. $repo0)"
-		elif [ "$branch" != "$branch0" ]; then
-			echo_warning "$dirname: branch mismatch ($branch vs. $branch0)"
-		else
-			echo_info "$dirname: updating..."
-			(cd "$dir"; git pull --rebase)
+		local cur=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" branch | grep ^* | cut -c3-)
+		local remote0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "branch.$cur.remote")
+		local branch0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "branch.$cur.merge" | cut -d/ -f3-)
+		local repo0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "remote.$remote0.url")
+
+		if [ "${repo#git+}" = "${repo0#git+}" -a "$branch" = "$branch0" ]; then
+			# same repo, same branch... update
+			echo_info "$dirname:"
+			git "--work-tree=$dir" pull --rebase
+		elif ! git "--work-tree=$dir" update-index --ignore-submodules --refresh > /dev/null; then
+			# something different, but dirty working tree
+			if [ "${repo#git+}" != "${repo0#git+}" ]; then
+				echo_warning "$dirname: repo mismatch ($repo vs. $repo0)"
+			else
+				echo_warning "$dirname: branch mismatch ($branch vs. $branch0)"
+			fi
+			echo_error "$dirname: cannot continue: you have unstaged changes"
+	         	git "--work-tree=$dir" diff-files --name-status -r --ignore-submodules -- >&2
+	        	return 1
+		elif git "--git-dir=$GIT_DIR" branch | grep -q "^. $branch\$"; then
+			echo_info "$dirname: local branch $branch found"
+			git "--work-tree=$dir" checkout "$branch"
+
+			# check repo0 and branch0, and set if not tracking
+			remote0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "branch.$branch.remote")
+			branch0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "branch.$branch.merge" | cut -d/ -f3-)
+
+			if [ -z "$remote0" ]; then
+
+			repo0=$(git --git-dir="$GIT_DIR" config --get "remote.$remote0.url")
+
+
+
 		fi
+	elif [ "$branch" = master ]; then
+		echo_info "$dirname: cloning $repo"
+		git clone "$repo" "$dir"
 	else
 		echo_info "$dirname: cloning $repo ($branch)"
-		git clone "$repo" "$dir"
+		git clone "$repo" "$dir" &&
+			git "--work-tree=$dir" checkout --track -b "$branch" "origin/$branch"
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -53,9 +80,10 @@ manifest_update_svn() {
 	fi
 
 	if [ -d "$dir/.svn" ]; then
-		echo_warning "$dirname: already exists"
+		echo_info "$dirname: updating..."
+		svn -N up "$dir"
 	else
-		echo_info "$1 <- $url"
+		echo_info "$1: <- $url"
 		svn co "$url" "$dir"
 	fi
 }