diff --git a/bin/enlist_main.py b/bin/enlist_main.py
index 178643c..5816ce4 100755
--- a/bin/enlist_main.py
+++ b/bin/enlist_main.py
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@
 
 def call(args):
 	if verbose:
-		print " ".join(args)
+		print "$", " ".join(args)
 	return subprocess.call(args)
 
 
 def check_output(args):
 	if verbose:
-		print " ".join(args)
+		print "$", " ".join(args)
 	return subprocess.check_output(args)
 
 
@@ -36,17 +36,21 @@ class Config:
 	branch=None
 
 	def debug_print(self):
-		print "[%s]\n\trepo=%s\n\tpath=%s\n\turl=%s\n\tbranch=%s\n\tcheckout=%s\n" % (self.name, self.repo, self.path, self.url, self.branch, self.checkout)
+		print "[%s]\n\trepo=%s\n\tpath=%s\n\turl=%s\n\tbranch=%s" % (self.name, self.repo, self.path, self.url, self.branch)
+
 
 	def validate(self):
-		if self.checkout is not None:
+		if self.checkout:
 			if self.checkout.startswith("svn"):
 				self.repo = "svn"
 			if self.checkout.startswith("git"):
 				self.repo = "git"
-			m = re.search("\\shttps?://\\S*", self.checkout)
-			if m is not None:
-				self.url = m.string[m.start():m.end()].strip()
+			m = re.search("\\s(https?://\\S*)", self.checkout)
+			if m:
+				self.url = m.group(1)
+			m = re.search("\\s(-b|--branch)\\s*(\\S*)", self.checkout)
+			if m:
+				self.branch = m.group(2)
 
 		if self.repo is None and self.checkout is not None:
 			if self.checkout.startswith("svn"):
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ def enlist_svn(config):
 def check(config):
 	os.chdir(cwd)
 	if not os.path.isdir(config.path):
-		print "directory does not exist: " + config.path
+		print "! directory does not exist: " + config.path
 		return False
 	ok = True
 	if config.repo == "git":
@@ -107,12 +111,12 @@ def check(config):
 def check_git(config):
 	os.chdir(config.path)
 	if not os.path.isdir(".git"):
-		print "directory does not appear to have a git enlistment: " + os.getcwd()
+		print "! directory does not appear to have a git enlistment: " + os.getcwd()
 		return False
 	url = check_output(["git", "config", "--get", "remote.origin.url"])
 	url = url.strip()
 	if url != config.url:
-		print "wrong remote url: %s" % (url)
+		print "! wrong remote url: %s" % (url)
 		return False
 
 	if config.branch is not None:
@@ -126,10 +130,10 @@ def check_git(config):
 			if branch == config.branch:
 				found = True
 			elif branch != config.branch:
-				print "expected to find branch '%s' found '%s'" % (config.branch, branch)
+				print "! expected to find branch '%s' found '%s'" % (config.branch, branch)
 				return False
 		if not found:
-			print "couldn't find current branch for %s" % (config.path)
+			print "! couldn't find current branch for %s" % (config.path)
 			return False
 
 	return True
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ def check_git(config):
 def check_svn(config):
 	os.chdir(config.path)
 	if not os.path.isdir(".svn"):
-		print "directory does not appear to have a subversion enlistment: " + os.getcwd()
+		print "! directory does not appear to have a subversion enlistment: " + os.getcwd()
 		return False
 
 	info = check_output(["svn", "info"])
@@ -149,7 +153,7 @@ def check_svn(config):
 		line = line[5:]
 		url = line.strip()
 	if url != config.url:
-		print "wrong remote url: %s" % (url)
+		print "! wrong remote url: %s" % (url)
 		return False
 	return True
 
@@ -240,25 +244,26 @@ def main(argv):
 
 	configs = parse_configuration_file(config_file)
 
-	if verbose:
-		for config in configs:
-			config.debug_print()
-
 	if "enlist"==command:
 		if ".mrconfig" != config_file:
 			shutil.copyfile(config_file,".mrconfig")
 		for config in configs:
+			if verbose:
+				config.debug_print()
 			enlist(config)
-
-	if "sync"==command:
-		print "NYI"
+			if verbose:
+				print
 
 	if "check"==command:
 		OK = True
 		for config in configs:
+			if verbose:
+				config.debug_print()
 			ret = check(config)
 			if not ret:
 				OK = False
+			if verbose:
+				print
 		if OK:
 			print "looks good"
 
diff --git a/bin/mr b/bin/mr
index b86cf78..4259e6f 100755
--- a/bin/mr
+++ b/bin/mr
@@ -1466,7 +1466,7 @@ sub loadconfig {
 					# safe.
 				}
 				else {
-					$trusterror->("illegal setting \"$parameter=$value\"");
+					# $trusterror->("illegal setting \"$parameter=$value\"");
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -2325,4 +2325,4 @@ right = echo "Not found."
 # Local variables:
 # indent-tabs-mode: t
 # cperl-indent-level: 8
-# End:
\ No newline at end of file
+# End:
diff --git a/bin/switch.py b/bin/switch.py
deleted file mode 100755
index 24d33fb..0000000
--- a/bin/switch.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-#! /usr/bin/python
-
-import sys
-import enlist_main
-
-argv = ["switch"]
-argv.extend(sys.argv)
-enlist_main.main(argv)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/release15_3.config b/release15_3.config
index a4df379..cc59b09 100644
--- a/release15_3.config
+++ b/release15_3.config
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 checkout = svn checkout https://hedgehog.fhcrc.org/tor/stedi/branches/release15.3 .
 
 [server/optionalModules/argos]
-checkout = git clone http://www.github.com/LabKey/argos.git
+checkout = git clone http://www.github.com/LabKey/argos.git -b release15.3
 branch   = release15.3
 
 [server/optionalModules/argos_test]
-checkout = git clone http://www.github.com/LabKey/argos_test.git
-branch   = release15.3
+checkout = git clone http://www.github.com/LabKey/argos_test.git -b release15.3