diff --git a/cli/recipe/lint.go b/cli/recipe/lint.go
index dfeba1a2..a01d3ecc 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/lint.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/lint.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/autocomplete"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/formatter"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/lint"
+	recipePkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -21,12 +22,33 @@ var recipeLintCommand = cli.Command{
 		internal.OnlyErrorFlag,
 		internal.OfflineFlag,
 		internal.NoInputFlag,
+		internal.ChaosFlag,
 	},
 	Before:       internal.SubCommandBefore,
 	BashComplete: autocomplete.RecipeNameComplete,
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		recipe := internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
 
+		if err := recipePkg.EnsureExists(recipe.Name); err != nil {
+			logrus.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if !internal.Chaos {
+			if err := recipePkg.EnsureIsClean(recipe.Name); err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			if !internal.Offline {
+				if err := recipePkg.EnsureUpToDate(recipe.Name); err != nil {
+					logrus.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			if err := recipePkg.EnsureLatest(recipe.Name); err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+
 		tableCol := []string{"ref", "rule", "severity", "satisfied", "skipped", "resolve"}
 		table := formatter.CreateTable(tableCol)
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/recipe_lint.bats b/tests/integration/recipe_lint.bats
index 63a3e824..094495d1 100644
--- a/tests/integration/recipe_lint.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/recipe_lint.bats
@@ -11,25 +11,51 @@ setup() {
   assert_output --partial 'compose config has expected version'
 }
 
-@test "recipe lint warns on error" {
+@test "retrieve recipe if missing" {
+  run rm -rf "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE"
+  assert_success
+  assert_not_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE"
+
   run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE"
   assert_success
-  refute_output --partial 'watch out, some critical errors are present'
 
-  run sed -i '/traefik.enable=.*/d' "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/compose.yml"
-  assert_success
-
-  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE"
-  assert_success --partial 'watch out, some critical errors are present'
-
-  _checkout_recipe "$TEST_RECIPE"
+  assert_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE"
 }
 
-@test "recipe lint uses latest commit" {
-  _fetch_recipe "$TEST_RECIPE"
+@test "bail if unstaged changes and no --chaos" {
+  run bash -c "echo foo >> $ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+  assert_success
+  assert_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
 
-  latestCommit="$(git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" rev-parse --short HEAD)"
+  run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial 'foo'
 
+  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output --partial 'locally unstaged changes'
+
+  run rm -rf "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+  assert_not_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+}
+
+@test "do not bail if unstaged changes and --chaos" {
+  run bash -c "echo foo >> $ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+  assert_success
+  assert_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+
+  run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial 'foo'
+
+  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE" --chaos
+  assert_success
+
+  run rm -rf "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+  assert_not_exists "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/foo"
+}
+
+@test "ensure recipe up to date if no --offline" {
   run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" reset --hard HEAD~3
   assert_success
 
@@ -39,6 +65,23 @@ setup() {
   run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE"
   assert_success
 
+  run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
+  refute_output --partial 'behind 3'
+}
+
+@test "ensure recipe not up to date if --offline" {
+  latestCommit="$(git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" rev-parse --short HEAD)"
+  refute [ -z "$latestCommit" ];
+
+  run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" reset --hard HEAD~3
+  assert_success
+
+  run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
+  assert_output --partial 'behind 3'
+
+  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE" --offline
+  assert_success
+
   run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
   assert_output --partial 'behind 3'
 
@@ -48,3 +91,17 @@ setup() {
   run git -C "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE" status
   refute_output --partial 'behind 3'
 }
+
+@test "recipe lint warns on error" {
+  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE"
+  assert_success
+  refute_output --partial 'watch out, some critical errors are present'
+
+  run sed -i '/traefik.enable=.*/d' "$ABRA_DIR/recipes/$TEST_RECIPE/compose.yml"
+  assert_success
+
+  run $ABRA recipe lint "$TEST_RECIPE" --chaos
+  assert_success --partial 'watch out, some critical errors are present'
+
+  _checkout_recipe "$TEST_RECIPE"
+}