diff --git a/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py b/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
index 230e274..cd44559 100644
--- a/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
+++ b/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@
     p = subprocess.Popen(cmd_list, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                          stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, env=newenv)
     (out, nothing) = p.communicate()
-    log.debug("Return code: %s" % p.returncode)
-    log.debug("Command said: %s" % out.strip())
+    log.info("Return code: %s" % p.returncode)
+    log.info("Command said: %s" % out.strip())
     if status:
         return (p.returncode, out.strip())
     return out.strip()
@@ -381,26 +381,32 @@
 
 
 def update_local_copy(repo_path, track_upstream, git_opts, ssh_env):
-    # If we're configured to track upstream but the repo
-    # does not have an upstream remote, add one
-    if (track_upstream and
-        'upstream' not in git_command_output(
-            repo_path, 'remote')[1]):
-        git_command(
-            repo_path,
-            "remote add upstream %(upstream)s" % git_opts)
+    has_upstream_remote = (
+        'upstream' in git_command_output(repo_path, 'remote')[1])
+    if track_upstream:
+        # If we're configured to track upstream but the repo
+        # does not have an upstream remote, add one
+        if not has_upstream_remote:
+            git_command(
+                repo_path,
+                "remote add upstream %(upstream)s" % git_opts)
 
-    # If we're configured to track upstream, make sure that
-    # the upstream URL matches the config
+        # If we're configured to track upstream, make sure that
+        # the upstream URL matches the config
+        else:
+            git_command(
+                repo_path,
+                "remote set-url upstream %(upstream)s" % git_opts)
+
+        # Now that we have any upstreams configured, fetch all of the refs
+        # we might need, pruning remote branches that no longer exist
+        git_command(
+            repo_path, "remote update --prune", env=ssh_env)
     else:
-        git_command(
-            repo_path,
-            "remote set-url upstream %(upstream)s" % git_opts)
-
-    # Now that we have any upstreams configured, fetch all of the refs
-    # we might need, pruning remote branches that no longer exist
-    git_command(
-        repo_path, "remote update --prune", env=ssh_env)
+        # If we are not tracking upstream, then we do not need
+        # an upstream remote configured
+        if has_upstream_remote:
+            git_command(repo_path, "remote rm upstream")
 
     # TODO(mordred): This is here so that later we can
     # inspect the master branch for meta-info
@@ -425,12 +431,12 @@
     # a local branch of, optionally prefixed with the
     # upstream prefix value
     for branch in git_command_output(
-            repo_path, "branch -a")[1].split():
+            repo_path, "branch -a")[1].split('\n'):
         if not branch.strip().startswith("remotes/upstream"):
             continue
         if "->" in branch:
             continue
-        local_branch = branch[len('remotes/upstream/'):]
+        local_branch = branch.split()[0][len('remotes/upstream/'):]
         if upstream_prefix:
             local_branch = "%s/%s" % (
                 upstream_prefix, local_branch)
@@ -523,6 +529,8 @@
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Manage projects')
     parser.add_argument('-v', dest='verbose', action='store_true',
                         help='verbose output')
+    parser.add_argument('-d', dest='debug', action='store_true',
+                        help='debug output')
     parser.add_argument('--nocleanup', action='store_true',
                         help='do not remove temp directories')
     parser.add_argument('projects', metavar='project', nargs='*',
@@ -530,6 +538,8 @@
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.verbose:
+        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
+    elif args.debug:
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
     else:
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.ERROR)
diff --git a/jeepyb/cmd/welcome_message.py b/jeepyb/cmd/welcome_message.py
index b791088..3536769 100644
--- a/jeepyb/cmd/welcome_message.py
+++ b/jeepyb/cmd/welcome_message.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
     cursor.execute(query, searchkey)
     data = cursor.fetchone()
     if data:
-        if data[0] == "1":
+        if data[0] == 1:
             logger.info('We found a newbie: %s', uploader)
             return True
         else: