diff --git a/pkg/app/app.go b/pkg/app/app.go
index a2ffe46a..a73a853d 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app.go
@@ -644,6 +644,9 @@ func (a App) WriteRecipeVersion(version string, dryRun bool) error {
 		scanner      = bufio.NewScanner(file)
 	)
 
+	// NOTE(d1): don't care at this point if there is a git failure
+	isDirty, _ := a.Recipe.IsDirty()
+
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		line := scanner.Text()
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(line, "RECIPE=") && !strings.HasPrefix(line, "TYPE=") {
@@ -656,7 +659,7 @@ func (a App) WriteRecipeVersion(version string, dryRun bool) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if strings.Contains(line, version) && !a.Recipe.Dirty && !strings.HasSuffix(line, config.DIRTY_DEFAULT) {
+		if strings.Contains(line, version) && !isDirty && !strings.HasSuffix(line, config.DIRTY_DEFAULT) {
 			skipped = true
 			lines = append(lines, line)
 			continue
@@ -669,16 +672,16 @@ func (a App) WriteRecipeVersion(version string, dryRun bool) error {
 	}
 
 	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		return err
 	}
 
-	if a.Recipe.Dirty && dirtyVersion != "" {
+	if isDirty && dirtyVersion != "" {
 		version = dirtyVersion
 	}
 
 	if !dryRun {
 		if err := os.WriteFile(a.Path, []byte(strings.Join(lines, "\n")), os.ModePerm); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			return err
 		}
 	} else {
 		log.Debug(i18n.G("skipping writing version %s because dry run", version))
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/git.go b/pkg/recipe/git.go
index e487e011..9eb03dbb 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/git.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/git.go
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@ func (r *Recipe) ChaosVersion() (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+
 	if dirty {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", version, config.DIRTY_DEFAULT), nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/git_test.go b/pkg/recipe/git_test.go
index 32197b83..22926a30 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/git_test.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/git_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ func TestIsDirty(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assert.False(t, r.Dirty)
+	isDirty, err := r.IsDirty()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	assert.False(t, isDirty)
 
 	fpath := filepath.Join(r.Dir, "foo.txt")
 	f, err := os.Create(fpath)
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index 592e2452..0128a324 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/i18n"
-	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/catalogue"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
@@ -170,12 +169,6 @@ func Get(name string) Recipe {
 		AbraShPath:    path.Join(dir, "abra.sh"),
 	}
 
-	dirty, err := r.IsDirty()
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, git.ErrRepositoryNotExists) {
-		log.Fatal(i18n.G("failed to check git status of %s: %s", r.Name, err))
-	}
-	r.Dirty = dirty
-
 	return r
 }
 
@@ -183,7 +176,6 @@ type Recipe struct {
 	Name          string
 	EnvVersion    string
 	EnvVersionRaw string
-	Dirty         bool // NOTE(d1): git terminology for unstaged changes
 	Dir           string
 	GitURL        string
 	SSHURL        string
@@ -198,7 +190,6 @@ type Recipe struct {
 func (r Recipe) String() string {
 	out := i18n.G("{name: %s, ", r.Name)
 	out += i18n.G("version : %s, ", r.EnvVersion)
-	out += i18n.G("dirty: %v, ", r.Dirty)
 	out += i18n.G("dir: %s, ", r.Dir)
 	out += i18n.G("git url: %s, ", r.GitURL)
 	out += i18n.G("ssh url: %s, ", r.SSHURL)