diff --git a/peach_package_builder/build_peach_config.py b/peach_package_builder/build_peach_config.py
index 0171668..08276ef 100644
--- a/peach_package_builder/build_peach_config.py
+++ b/peach_package_builder/build_peach_config.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ def build_peach_config(default_branch=True):
     if default_branch:
         # because some repo have main as default and some as master, we get the default
         default_branch = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'origin/HEAD'],
-                                                 cwd=service_path).decode(sys.stdout.encoding)
-        branch = default_branch.replace('origin/', '').strip()
+                                                 cwd=service_path).decode(sys.stdout.encoding).strip()
+        branch = default_branch.replace('origin/', '')
         subprocess.check_call(["git", "checkout", branch], cwd=service_path)
         subprocess.check_call(["git", "fetch", "--all"], cwd=service_path)
         subprocess.check_call(["git", "reset", "--hard", default_branch], cwd=service_path)
diff --git a/peach_package_builder/build_rust_packages.py b/peach_package_builder/build_rust_packages.py
index 9219396..c5361bd 100644
--- a/peach_package_builder/build_rust_packages.py
+++ b/peach_package_builder/build_rust_packages.py
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ def build_rust_packages(default_branch=False):
         if default_branch:
             # because some repo have main as default and some as master, we get the default
             default_branch = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'origin/HEAD'],
-                                                     cwd=service_path).decode(sys.stdout.encoding)
-            branch = default_branch.replace('origin/', '').strip()
+                                                     cwd=service_path).decode(sys.stdout.encoding).strip()
+            branch = default_branch.replace('origin/', '')
             subprocess.check_call(["git", "checkout", branch], cwd=service_path)
             subprocess.check_call(["git", "fetch", "--all"], cwd=service_path)
             subprocess.check_call(["git", "reset", "--hard", default_branch], cwd=service_path)