diff --git a/bench/app.py b/bench/app.py
index abea32ce..7fb8fa22 100755
--- a/bench/app.py
+++ b/bench/app.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ def check_url(url, raise_err=True):
 
 	return True
 
+def is_git_url(url):
+	# modified to allow without the tailing .git from https://github.com/jonschlinkert/is-git-url.git
+	pattern = r"(?:git|ssh|https?|git@[-\w.]+):(\/\/)?(.*?)(\.git)?(\/?|\#[-\d\w._]+?)$"
+	return bool(re.match(pattern, url))
+
 def get_excluded_apps(bench_path='.'):
 	try:
 		with open(os.path.join(bench_path, 'sites', 'excluded_apps.txt')) as f:
@@ -100,7 +105,7 @@ def remove_from_excluded_apps_txt(app, bench_path='.'):
 
 def get_app(git_url, branch=None, bench_path='.', skip_assets=False, verbose=False, restart_bench=True, overwrite=False):
 	if not os.path.exists(git_url):
-		if not check_url(git_url, raise_err=False):
+		if not is_git_url(git_url):
 			orgs = ['frappe', 'erpnext']
 			for org in orgs:
 				url = 'https://api.github.com/repos/{org}/{app}'.format(org=org, app=git_url)
@@ -391,7 +396,7 @@ def switch_branch(branch, apps=None, bench_path='.', upgrade=False, check_upgrad
 		bench.utils.log("Fetching upstream {0}for {1}".format("unshallow " if unshallow_flag else "", app))
 
 		bench.utils.exec_cmd("git remote set-branches upstream  '*'", cwd=app_dir)
-		bench.utils.exec_cmd("git fetch --all{0}".format(" --unshallow" if unshallow_flag else ""), cwd=app_dir)
+		bench.utils.exec_cmd("git fetch --all{0} --quiet".format(" --unshallow" if unshallow_flag else ""), cwd=app_dir)
 
 		if check_upgrade:
 			version_upgrade = is_version_upgrade(app=app, bench_path=bench_path, branch=branch)
@@ -400,7 +405,7 @@ def switch_branch(branch, apps=None, bench_path='.', upgrade=False, check_upgrad
 				sys.exit(1)
 
 		print("Switching for "+app)
-		bench.utils.exec_cmd("git checkout {0}".format(branch), cwd=app_dir)
+		bench.utils.exec_cmd("git checkout -f {0}".format(branch), cwd=app_dir)
 
 		if str(repo.active_branch) == branch:
 			switched_apps.append(app)
diff --git a/bench/tests/test_init.py b/bench/tests/test_init.py
index d1dd7662..cf92d630 100755
--- a/bench/tests/test_init.py
+++ b/bench/tests/test_init.py
@@ -136,13 +136,15 @@ class TestBenchInit(TestBenchBase):
 		bench_path = os.path.join(self.benches_path, "test-bench")
 		app_path = os.path.join(bench_path, "apps", "frappe")
 
-		bench.utils.exec_cmd("bench switch-to-branch version-12 frappe --upgrade", cwd=bench_path)
+		successful_switch = not bench.utils.exec_cmd("bench switch-to-branch version-12 frappe --upgrade", cwd=bench_path)
 		app_branch_after_switch = str(git.Repo(path=app_path).active_branch)
-		self.assertEqual("version-12", app_branch_after_switch)
+		if successful_switch:
+			self.assertEqual("version-12", app_branch_after_switch)
 
-		bench.utils.exec_cmd("bench switch-to-branch develop frappe --upgrade", cwd=bench_path)
+		successful_switch = not bench.utils.exec_cmd("bench switch-to-branch develop frappe --upgrade", cwd=bench_path)
 		app_branch_after_second_switch = str(git.Repo(path=app_path).active_branch)
-		self.assertEqual("develop", app_branch_after_second_switch)
+		if successful_switch:
+			self.assertEqual("develop", app_branch_after_second_switch)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':