diff --git a/bench/app.py b/bench/app.py
index 3e7c5243..ef73f040 100755
--- a/bench/app.py
+++ b/bench/app.py
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ class AppMeta:
 			self._setup_details_from_name_tag()
 
 	def _setup_details_from_mounted_disk(self):
-		self.branch = subprocess.check_output(["git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD"])
 		self.org, self.repo, self.tag = os.path.split(self.name)[-2:] + (self.branch,)
 
 	def _setup_details_from_name_tag(self):
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ class AppMeta:
 		self.tag = self.tag or self.branch
 
 	def _setup_details_from_installed_apps(self):
-		self.branch = subprocess.check_output(["git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD"])
 		self.org, self.repo, self.tag = os.path.split(
 			os.path.join(self.bench.name, "apps", self.name)
 		)[-2:] + (self.branch,)
@@ -178,31 +176,30 @@ class App(AppMeta):
 		shutil.move(active_app_path, archived_app_path)
 
 	@step(title="Installing App {repo}", success="App {repo} Installed")
-	def install(self, skip_assets=False, verbose=False):
+	def install(self, skip_assets=False, verbose=False, resolved=False):
 		import bench.cli
 		from bench.utils.app import get_app_name
 
 		verbose = bench.cli.verbose or verbose
 		app_name = get_app_name(self.bench.name, self.repo)
-
-		# TODO: this should go inside install_app only tho - issue: default/resolved branch
-		setup_app_dependencies(
-			repo_name=self.repo,
-			bench_path=self.bench.name,
-			branch=self.tag,
-			verbose=verbose,
-			skip_assets=skip_assets,
-		)
+		if not resolved:
+			# TODO: this should go inside install_app only tho - issue: default/resolved branch
+			setup_app_dependencies(
+				repo_name=self.repo,
+				bench_path=self.bench.name,
+				branch=self.tag,
+				verbose=verbose,
+				skip_assets=skip_assets,
+			)
 
 		install_app(
-			app=app_name, bench_path=self.bench.name, verbose=verbose, skip_assets=skip_assets,
+			app=app_name, tag=self.tag, bench_path=self.bench.name, verbose=verbose, skip_assets=skip_assets,
 		)
 
 	@step(title="Cloning and installing {repo}", success="App {repo} Installed")
 	def install_resolved_apps(self, *args, **kwargs):
 		self.get()
 		self.install(*args, **kwargs, resolved=True)
-		self.bench.apps.update_apps_states(self.repo, self.tag)
 
 	@step(title="Uninstalling App {repo}", success="App {repo} Uninstalled")
 	def uninstall(self):
@@ -217,11 +214,9 @@ class App(AppMeta):
 			lines = [x for x in f.split("\n") if x.strip().startswith("required_apps")]
 			required_apps = eval(lines[0].strip("required_apps").strip().lstrip("=").strip())
 			return required_apps
-		except Exception as e:
+		except Exception:
 			return []
 
-		return info_file["required_apps"] if info_file  else {}
-
 def make_resolution_plan(app: App, bench: "Bench"):
 	"""
 	decide what apps and versions to install and in what order
@@ -473,6 +468,7 @@ def new_app(app, no_git=None, bench_path="."):
 
 def install_app(
 	app,
+	tag,
 	bench_path=".",
 	verbose=False,
 	no_cache=False,
@@ -504,6 +500,7 @@ def install_app(
 		bench.run("yarn install", cwd=app_path)
 
 	bench.apps.sync()
+	bench.apps.update_apps_states(app, tag)
 
 	if not skip_assets:
 		build_assets(bench_path=bench_path, app=app)
diff --git a/bench/bench.py b/bench/bench.py
index 804abf8f..87dcc3c6 100644
--- a/bench/bench.py
+++ b/bench/bench.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class Bench(Base, Validator):
 	def __init__(self, path):
 		self.name = path
 		self.cwd = os.path.abspath(path)
-		self.apps_states = os.path.join(self.name, "sites", "apps_states.json")
 		self.exists = is_bench_directory(self.name)
 
 		self.setup = BenchSetup(self)
@@ -151,19 +150,20 @@ class Bench(Base, Validator):
 class BenchApps(MutableSequence):
 	def __init__(self, bench: Bench):
 		self.bench = bench
+		self.states_path = os.path.join(self.bench.name, "sites", "apps_states.json")
 		self.initialize_apps()
 
-	def initialize_states(self):
+	def set_states(self):
 		try:
-			with open(self.bench.apps_states, "r") as f:
+			with open(self.states_path, "r") as f:
 				self.states = json.loads(f.read() or "{}")
 		except FileNotFoundError:
-			with open(self.bench.apps_states, "w") as f:
+			with open(self.states_path, "w+") as f:
 				self.states = json.loads(f.read() or "{}")
 
 	def update_apps_states(self, app_name: str = None, resolution: str = None):
-		self.initialize_states()
 		self.initialize_apps()
+		self.set_states()
 		apps_to_remove = []
 		for app in self.states:
 			if app not in self.apps:
@@ -172,14 +172,14 @@ class BenchApps(MutableSequence):
 		for app in apps_to_remove:
 			del self.states[app]
 
-		if app_name and resolution:
-			version = get_current_version(app_name)
+		if app_name:
+			version = get_current_version(app_name, self.bench.name)
 			self.states[app_name] = {
 				"resolution": resolution,
 				"version": version,
 			}
 
-		with open(self.bench.apps_states, "w") as f:
+		with open(self.states_path, "w") as f:
 			f.write(json.dumps(self.states, indent=4))
 
 	def sync(self):
diff --git a/bench/utils/app.py b/bench/utils/app.py
index 13241290..e86a0304 100644
--- a/bench/utils/app.py
+++ b/bench/utils/app.py
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ def get_app_name(bench_path, repo_name):
 
 	return repo_name
 
+def check_existing_dir(bench_path, repo_name):
+	cloned_path = os.path.join(bench_path, "apps", repo_name)
+	dir_already_exists = os.path.isdir(cloned_path)
+	return dir_already_exists, cloned_path
 
 def get_current_version(app, bench_path="."):
 	current_version = None