diff --git a/merlin/common/common.go b/merlin/common/common.go
index 33b9169..4a8adfc 100644
--- a/merlin/common/common.go
+++ b/merlin/common/common.go
@@ -117,12 +117,12 @@ type State struct {
 	// whether the last attempt was successful or not
 	LastAttemptStatus int `ini:"last_attempt_status"`
 	// whether this repo is running a job or not
-	isRunning bool `ini:"is_running"`
+	IsRunning bool `ini:"is_running"`
 }
 
 // IsRunning returns true if the repo is currently running a sync job.
 func (repo *Repo) IsRunning() bool {
-	return repo.state.isRunning
+	return repo.state.IsRunning
 }
 
 // RunIfScheduled starts a sync job for this repo if more than repo.Frequency
@@ -130,13 +130,13 @@ func (repo *Repo) IsRunning() bool {
 // It returns true iff a job is started.
 func (repo *Repo) RunIfScheduled() bool {
 	// sanity check; don't run if a job is already running
-	if repo.state.isRunning {
+	if repo.state.IsRunning {
 		return false
 	}
 	if time.Now().Unix()-repo.state.LastAttemptTime > int64(repo.Frequency) {
 		// this should be set in the caller's thread so that the check
 		// above will always work
-		repo.state.isRunning = true
+		repo.state.IsRunning = true
 		go repo.StartSyncJob()
 		return true
 	}
@@ -197,9 +197,24 @@ func GetConfig() Config {
 			LastAttemptTime:    0,
 			LastAttemptRunTime: 0,
 			LastAttemptStatus:  NOT_RUN_YET,
-			isRunning:          false,
+			IsRunning:          false,
 		}
-		if err := ini.MapTo(&repo.state, cfg.StatePath+"/"+repo.Name); err != nil {
+
+		repo_state_file := cfg.StatePath + "/" + repo.Name
+
+		if _, err := os.Stat(repo_state_file); err != nil {
+			// when repo_status_path does not exist then save the default config
+			repo_state := ini.Empty()
+			ini.ReflectFrom(repo_state, &repo.state)
+			file, err := os.OpenFile(repo_state_file, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if _, err := repo_state.WriteTo(file); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+		} else if err := ini.MapTo(&repo.state, repo_state_file); err != nil {
+			// when it does exist attempt to the grab its configs
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
@@ -210,3 +225,17 @@ func GetConfig() Config {
 	}
 	return cfg
 }
+
+func (repo *Repo) SaveState() {
+	cfg := ini.Empty()
+	if err := ini.ReflectFrom(cfg, &repo.state); err != nil {
+		repo.Logger.Error(err)
+	}
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(repo.cfg.StatePath+"/"+repo.Name, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		repo.Logger.Error(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := cfg.WriteTo(file); err != nil {
+		repo.Logger.Error(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/merlin/common/sync.go b/merlin/common/sync.go
index 25ab2cd..d49983c 100644
--- a/merlin/common/sync.go
+++ b/merlin/common/sync.go
@@ -4,30 +4,20 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"time"
-
-	ini "gopkg.in/ini.v1"
 )
 
 // CSCSyncStandard performs a standard rsync job.
 func (repo *Repo) CSCSyncStandard() {
 	startTime := time.Now().Unix()
 	status := FAILURE
+	// https://medium.com/@manandharsabbir/go-lang-defer-statement-arguments-evaluated-at-defer-execution-b2c4a1687c6c
+	// will defer actaully wait till end to function to set the vars?
 	defer func() {
 		repo.state.LastAttemptTime = startTime
 		repo.state.LastAttemptRunTime = time.Now().Unix() - startTime
 		repo.state.LastAttemptStatus = status
-		repo.state.isRunning = false
-		cfg := ini.Empty()
-		if err := ini.ReflectFrom(cfg, &repo.state); err != nil {
-			// log error
-		}
-		file, err := os.OpenFile(repo.cfg.StatePath+"/"+repo.Name, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
-		if err != nil {
-			// log error
-		}
-		if _, err := cfg.WriteTo(file); err != nil {
-			// log error
-		}
+		repo.state.IsRunning = false
+		repo.SaveState()
 		repo.DoneChan <- repo.Name
 	}()