diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/git/branch b/sys/src/cmd/git/branch
index bf2027cc7..6693d7c4f 100755
--- a/sys/src/cmd/git/branch
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/git/branch
@@ -100,8 +100,10 @@ for(m in $cleanpaths){
 		rm -rf .git/index9/tracked/$m
 	}
 	if(~ $b file){
-		cp -x $basedir/tree/$m $m
-		walk -eq $m > .git/index9/tracked/$m
+		if(cp -x -- $basedir/tree/$m $m)
+			walk -eq $m > .git/index9/tracked/$m
+		if not
+			echo -n > .git/index9/tracked/$m
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/git/revert b/sys/src/cmd/git/revert
index a516e3a9d..0f11d82a9 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/git/revert
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/git/revert
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ if(~ $#query 1)
 files=`$nl{cleanname -d $gitrel $*}
 for(f in `$nl{cd $commit/tree/ && walk -f $files}){
 	mkdir -p `{basename -d $f}
-	cp -x -- $commit/tree/$f $f
-	git/add $f
+	if(cp -x -- $commit/tree/$f $f)
+		walk -eq $m > .git/index9/tracked/$m
+	if not
+		echo -n > .git/index9/tracked/$m
 }
 exit ''