diff --git a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
index 8d32ded1..fc3fa6af 100644
--- a/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
+++ b/cli/catalogue/catalogue.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/formatter"
@@ -104,17 +103,18 @@ A new catalogue copy can be published to the recipes repository by passing the
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		logrus.Debugf("ensuring %v recipe(s) are locally present and up-to-date", len(repos))
-
 		var barLength int
+		var logMsg string
 		if recipeName != "" {
 			barLength = 1
+			logMsg = fmt.Sprintf("ensuring %v recipe is up-to-date", barLength)
 		} else {
 			barLength = len(repos)
+			logMsg = fmt.Sprintf("ensuring %v recipes are up-to-date", barLength)
 		}
 
 		if !internal.SkipUpdates {
-			logrus.Warnf("ensuring %v recipe(s) are up-to-date", barLength)
+			logrus.Warn(logMsg)
 			if err := updateRepositories(repos, recipeName); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ A new catalogue copy can be published to the recipes repository by passing the
 				Category:      category,
 				Features:      features,
 			}
+
 			catlBar.Add(1)
 		}
 
@@ -162,25 +163,25 @@ A new catalogue copy can be published to the recipes repository by passing the
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if _, err := os.Stat(config.RECIPES_JSON); err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if recipeName == "" {
 			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(config.RECIPES_JSON, recipesJSON, 0764); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		} else {
-			if recipeName != "" {
-				catlFS, err := catalogue.ReadRecipeCatalogue()
-				if err != nil {
-					logrus.Fatal(err)
-				}
-				catlFS[recipeName] = catl[recipeName]
+			catlFS, err := catalogue.ReadRecipeCatalogue()
+			if err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
 
-				updatedRecipesJSON, err := json.MarshalIndent(catlFS, "", "    ")
-				if err != nil {
-					logrus.Fatal(err)
-				}
-				if err := ioutil.WriteFile(config.RECIPES_JSON, updatedRecipesJSON, 0764); err != nil {
-					logrus.Fatal(err)
-				}
+			catlFS[recipeName] = catl[recipeName]
+
+			updatedRecipesJSON, err := json.MarshalIndent(catlFS, "", "    ")
+			if err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(config.RECIPES_JSON, updatedRecipesJSON, 0764); err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -207,7 +208,6 @@ A new catalogue copy can be published to the recipes repository by passing the
 					logrus.Fatal(err)
 				}
 			}
-
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func updateRepositories(repos catalogue.RepoCatalogue, recipeName string) error
 				logrus.Fatalf("%s has locally unstaged changes", rm.Name)
 			}
 
-			if err := catalogue.EnsureUpToDate(rm.Name); err != nil {
+			if err := recipe.EnsureUpToDate(rm.Name); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
diff --git a/pkg/catalogue/catalogue.go b/pkg/catalogue/catalogue.go
index 0f895ea2..f6806e06 100644
--- a/pkg/catalogue/catalogue.go
+++ b/pkg/catalogue/catalogue.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/formatter"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/client"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
-	gitPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/web"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
@@ -357,6 +356,8 @@ func ReadReposMetadata() (RepoCatalogue, error) {
 		bar.Add(1)
 	}
 
+	fmt.Println() // newline for spinner
+
 	return reposMeta, nil
 }
 
@@ -464,22 +465,11 @@ func GetRecipeVersions(recipeName string) (RecipeVersions, error) {
 		return versions, err
 	}
 
-	branch, err := gitPkg.GetCurrentBranch(repo)
+	_, err = recipe.CheckoutDefaultBranch(repo, recipeName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return versions, err
 	}
 
-	checkOutOpts := &git.CheckoutOptions{
-		Create: false,
-		Force:  true,
-		Branch: plumbing.ReferenceName(branch),
-	}
-	if err := worktree.Checkout(checkOutOpts); err != nil {
-		logrus.Debugf("failed to check out %s in %s", branch, recipeDir)
-		logrus.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	logrus.Debugf("switched back to %s in %s", branch, recipeDir)
 	logrus.Debugf("collected %s for %s", versions, recipeName)
 
 	return versions, nil
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index 309d89b9..41a94d6c 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -310,72 +310,6 @@ func GetVersionLabelLocal(recipe Recipe) (string, error) {
 	return label, nil
 }
 
-// EnsureUpToDate ensures that the local repo is synced to the remote
-func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
-	isClean, err := gitPkg.IsClean(recipeName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if !isClean {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s has locally unstaged changes", recipeName)
-	}
-
-	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
-	repo, err := git.PlainOpen(recipeDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	worktree, err := repo.Worktree()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	branch, err := gitPkg.GetCurrentBranch(repo)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	checkOutOpts := &git.CheckoutOptions{
-		Create: false,
-		Force:  true,
-		Branch: plumbing.ReferenceName(branch),
-	}
-
-	if err := worktree.Checkout(checkOutOpts); err != nil {
-		logrus.Debugf("failed to check out %s in %s", branch, recipeDir)
-		return err
-	}
-
-	logrus.Debugf("successfully checked out %s in %s", branch, recipeDir)
-
-	remotes, err := repo.Remotes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if len(remotes) == 0 {
-		logrus.Debugf("cannot ensure %s is up-to-date, no git remotes configured", recipeName)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	opts := &git.PullOptions{
-		Force:         true,
-		ReferenceName: plumbing.ReferenceName(branch),
-	}
-
-	if err := worktree.Pull(opts); err != nil {
-		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already up-to-date") {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	logrus.Debugf("fetched latest git changes for %s", recipeName)
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func GetRecipeFeaturesAndCategory(recipeName string) (Features, string, error) {
 	feat := Features{}
 
@@ -503,3 +437,102 @@ func GetStringInBetween(str, start, end string) (result string, err error) {
 
 	return str[s : s+e], nil
 }
+
+// EnsureUpToDate ensures that the local repo is synced to the remote
+func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
+	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
+
+	isClean, err := gitPkg.IsClean(recipeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !isClean {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s has locally unstaged changes", recipeName)
+	}
+
+	repo, err := git.PlainOpen(recipeDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	remotes, err := repo.Remotes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if len(remotes) == 0 {
+		logrus.Debugf("cannot ensure %s is up-to-date, no git remotes configured", recipeName)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	worktree, err := repo.Worktree()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	branch, err := CheckoutDefaultBranch(repo, recipeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	opts := &git.PullOptions{
+		Force:         true,
+		ReferenceName: branch,
+	}
+
+	if err := worktree.Pull(opts); err != nil {
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already up-to-date") {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	logrus.Debugf("fetched latest git changes for %s", recipeName)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func GetDefaultBranch(repo *git.Repository, recipeName string) (plumbing.ReferenceName, error) {
+	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
+
+	branch := "master"
+	if _, err := repo.Branch("master"); err != nil {
+		if _, err := repo.Branch("main"); err != nil {
+			logrus.Debugf("failed to select branch in %s", recipeDir)
+			return "", err
+		}
+		branch = "main"
+	}
+
+	return plumbing.ReferenceName(fmt.Sprintf("refs/heads/%s", branch)), nil
+}
+
+func CheckoutDefaultBranch(repo *git.Repository, recipeName string) (plumbing.ReferenceName, error) {
+	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
+
+	branch, err := GetDefaultBranch(repo, recipeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return plumbing.ReferenceName(""), err
+	}
+
+	worktree, err := repo.Worktree()
+	if err != nil {
+		return plumbing.ReferenceName(""), err
+	}
+
+	checkOutOpts := &git.CheckoutOptions{
+		Create: false,
+		Force:  true,
+		Branch: branch,
+	}
+
+	if err := worktree.Checkout(checkOutOpts); err != nil {
+		recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
+		logrus.Debugf("failed to check out %s in %s", branch, recipeDir)
+		return branch, err
+	}
+
+	logrus.Debugf("successfully checked out %v in %s", branch, recipeDir)
+
+	return branch, nil
+}