diff --git a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
index 9e6dfcbe..50cb8d2d 100644
--- a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
+++ b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	gitPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/limit"
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
-	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 )
@@ -224,43 +223,19 @@ A new catalogue copy can be published to the recipes repository by passing the
 		logrus.Infof("generated new recipe catalogue in %s", config.APPS_JSON)
 
 		if internal.Commit {
-			repoPath := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
-			commitRepo, err := git.PlainOpen(repoPath)
-			if err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
-			commitWorktree, err := commitRepo.Worktree()
-			if err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
-			if internal.CommitMessage == "" {
+			if internal.CommitMessage == "" && !internal.NoInput {
 				prompt := &survey.Input{
 					Message: "commit message",
-					Default: "chore: publish new catalogue changes",
+					Default: fmt.Sprintf("chore: publish catalogue changes"),
 				}
 				if err := survey.AskOne(prompt, &internal.CommitMessage); err != nil {
 					logrus.Fatal(err)
 				}
 			}
 
-			err = commitWorktree.AddGlob("**.json")
-			if err != nil {
+			if err := gitPkg.Commit("**.json", internal.CommitMessage, false); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
-			logrus.Debug("staged **.json for commit")
-
-			_, err = commitWorktree.Commit(internal.CommitMessage, &git.CommitOptions{})
-			if err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-			logrus.Info("changes commited")
-
-			if err := commitRepo.Push(&git.PushOptions{}); err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-			logrus.Info("changes pushed")
 		}
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/cli/recipe/release.go b/cli/recipe/release.go
index 0a9b2be2..517f9c58 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/release.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/release.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	abraFormatter "coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/formatter"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/internal"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
+	gitPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	recipePkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"coopcloud.tech/tagcmp"
@@ -140,15 +141,6 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 		}
 
 		if internal.Commit || internal.CommitMessage != "" {
-			commitRepo, err := git.PlainOpen(directory)
-			if err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-			commitWorktree, err := commitRepo.Worktree()
-			if err != nil {
-				logrus.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
 			if internal.CommitMessage == "" && !internal.NoInput {
 				prompt := &survey.Input{
 					Message: "commit message",
@@ -159,21 +151,14 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 				}
 			}
 
-			err = commitWorktree.AddGlob("compose.**yml")
-			if err != nil {
+			if internal.CommitMessage == "" {
+				logrus.Fatal("no commit message specified?")
+			}
+
+			if err := gitPkg.Commit("compose.**yml", internal.CommitMessage, internal.Dry); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
-			logrus.Debug("staged compose.**yml for commit")
 
-			if !internal.Dry {
-				_, err = commitWorktree.Commit(internal.CommitMessage, &git.CommitOptions{})
-				if err != nil {
-					logrus.Fatal(err)
-				}
-				logrus.Info("changes commited")
-			} else {
-				logrus.Info("dry run only: NOT committing changes")
-			}
 		}
 
 		repo, err := git.PlainOpen(directory)
diff --git a/pkg/git/commit.go b/pkg/git/commit.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..68e114db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/git/commit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"path"
+
+	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+// Commit runs a git commit
+func Commit(glob, commitMessage string, dryRun bool) error {
+	if commitMessage == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no commit message specified?")
+	}
+
+	repoPath := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "catalogue")
+	commitRepo, err := git.PlainOpen(repoPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	commitWorktree, err := commitRepo.Worktree()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	patterns, err := GetExcludesFiles()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if len(patterns) > 0 {
+		commitWorktree.Excludes = append(patterns, commitWorktree.Excludes...)
+	}
+
+	if !dryRun {
+		err = commitWorktree.AddGlob(glob)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		logrus.Debugf("staged %s for commit", glob)
+	} else {
+		logrus.Debugf("dry run: did not stage %s for commit", glob)
+	}
+
+	if !dryRun {
+		_, err = commitWorktree.Commit(commitMessage, &git.CommitOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		logrus.Info("changes commited")
+	} else {
+		logrus.Info("dry run: no changes commited")
+	}
+
+	if !dryRun {
+		if err := commitRepo.Push(&git.PushOptions{}); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		logrus.Info("changes pushed")
+	} else {
+		logrus.Info("dry run: no changes pushed")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}