diff --git a/spec/base.js b/spec/base.js
index d0d4247b..69152432 100644
--- a/spec/base.js
+++ b/spec/base.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var loadTree = function(json) {
 };
 
 var compareLevelTree = function(headless, levelBlob) {
-  var actualTree = headless.gitEngine.exportTree();
+  var actualTree = headless.gitEngine.printTree();
   return TreeCompare.dispatchFromLevel(levelBlob, actualTree);
 };
 
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ var expectLevelAsync = function(headless, levelBlob) {
     return;
   }
 
+  var hasWarned = false;
   var start;
   runs(function() {
     start = Date.now();
@@ -37,8 +38,11 @@ var expectLevelAsync = function(headless, levelBlob) {
   });
   waitsFor(function() {
     var diff = (Date.now() - start);
-    if (diff > TIME - 10) {
-      console.log('not going to match', command);
+    if (diff > TIME - 10 && !hasWarned) {
+      hasWarned = true;
+      console.log('this goal tree', loadTree(levelBlob.goalTreeString));
+      console.log('not going to match with command', command);
+      console.log(getHeadlessSummary(headless));
     }
     var result = compareLevelTree(headless, levelBlob);
     if (result) {
diff --git a/spec/levels.spec.js b/spec/levels.spec.js
index 6661ee8b..290b2c6d 100644
--- a/spec/levels.spec.js
+++ b/spec/levels.spec.js
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ describe('GitEngine Levels', function() {
     var sequences = require('../src/levels/index').levelSequences;
     _.each(Object.keys(sequences), function(sequenceKey) {
       var levels = sequences[sequenceKey];
-      _.each(levels, function(levelBlob) {
+      _.each(levels, function(levelBlob, index) {
+        console.log('testing level', levelBlob.name.en_US);
         base.expectLevelSolved(levelBlob);
       });
     });
diff --git a/spec/treeCompare.spec.js b/spec/treeCompare.spec.js
index 9e88c906..c502c917 100644
--- a/spec/treeCompare.spec.js
+++ b/spec/treeCompare.spec.js
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ describe('Tree Compare', function() {
       // state with originTree
       '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"remoteTrackingBranch":null,"remote":false,"target":"C1","id":"master","type":"branch"}},"commits":{"C0":{"type":"commit","parents":[],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 09:58:50 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"type":"commit","parents":["C0"],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 09:58:50 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD","type":"general ref"}}}',
       {
+        // different cases for origin tree too
+        '{"branches":{"MaStEr":{"target":"C1","id":"MaStEr"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/MaStEr"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"MaStEr","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"MaStEr":{"remoteTrackingBranch":null,"remote":false,"target":"C1","id":"MaStEr","type":"branch"}},"commits":{"C0":{"type":"commit","parents":[],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 09:58:50 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"type":"commit","parents":["C0"],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 09:58:50 GMT-0800 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"MaStEr","id":"HEAD","type":"general ref"}}}': true,
         // one extra commit in origin
         '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master"},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"remoteTrackingBranch":null,"remote":false,"target":"C2","id":"master","type":"branch"}},"commits":{"C0":{"type":"commit","parents":[],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 10:24:50 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"type":"commit","parents":["C0"],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 10:24:50 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C1"},"C2":{"type":"commit","parents":["C1"],"author":"Peter Cottle","createTime":"Wed Jul 24 2013 10:24:55 GMT-0700 (PDT)","commitMessage":"Quick commit. Go Bears!","id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD","type":"general ref"}}}': false,
         // extra commit local
@@ -88,6 +90,8 @@ describe('Tree Compare', function() {
       {
         // side branch that is checked out
         '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C2","id":"master"},"side":{"target":"C3","id":"side"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C3":{"parents":["C2"],"id":"C3"}},"HEAD":{"target":"side","id":"HEAD"}}': false,
+        // different cases of branches
+        '{"branches":{"mAsTeR":{"target":"C3","id":"mAsTeR"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C3":{"parents":["C2"],"id":"C3"}},"HEAD":{"target":"mAsTeR","id":"HEAD"}}': true,
         // head detached
         '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C3","id":"master"}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"},"C3":{"parents":["C2"],"id":"C3"}},"HEAD":{"target":"C2","id":"HEAD"}}': false
       }
diff --git a/src/js/git/index.js b/src/js/git/index.js
index 43a6468a..c6f55158 100644
--- a/src/js/git/index.js
+++ b/src/js/git/index.js
@@ -618,6 +618,14 @@ GitEngine.prototype.validateBranchName = function(name) {
       )
     });
   }
+  if (/^[cC]\d+$/.test(name)) {
+    throw new GitError({
+      msg: intl.str(
+        'bad-branch-name',
+        { branch: name }
+      )
+    });
+  }
   if (/[hH][eE][aA][dD]/.test(name)) {
     throw new GitError({
       msg: intl.str(
@@ -644,7 +652,7 @@ GitEngine.prototype.validateAndMakeBranch = function(id, target) {
     throw new GitError({
       msg: intl.str(
         'bad-branch-name',
-        { branch: name }
+        { branch: id }
       )
     });
   }
diff --git a/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js b/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
index fa2c7e19..068614ce 100644
--- a/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
+++ b/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ TreeCompare.compareAllBranchesWithinTreesAndHEAD = function(treeA, treeB) {
   treeB = this.convertTreeSafe(treeB);
 
   // also compare tags!! for just one level
-  return treeA.HEAD.target == treeB.HEAD.target &&
+  return treeA.HEAD.target === treeB.HEAD.target &&
     this.compareAllBranchesWithinTrees(treeA, treeB) &&
     this.compareAllTagsWithinTrees(treeA, treeB);
 };
@@ -319,9 +319,31 @@ TreeCompare.getRecurseCompare = function(treeA, treeB, options) {
   return recurseCompare;
 };
 
+TreeCompare.lowercaseTree = function(tree) {
+  if (tree.HEAD) {
+    tree.HEAD.target = tree.HEAD.target.toLocaleLowerCase();
+  }
+
+  var branches = tree.branches;
+  tree.branches = {};
+  _.each(branches, function(obj, name) {
+    obj.id = obj.id.toLocaleLowerCase();
+    tree.branches[name.toLocaleLowerCase()] = obj;
+  });
+  return tree;
+};
+
 TreeCompare.convertTreeSafe = function(tree) {
-  if (typeof tree == 'string') {
-    return JSON.parse(unescape(tree));
+  if (typeof tree !== 'string') {
+    return tree;
+  }
+  tree = JSON.parse(unescape(tree));
+  // ok we are almost done -- but we need to case insensitive
+  // certain fields. so go ahead and do that.
+  // handle HEAD target first
+  this.lowercaseTree(tree);
+  if (tree.originTree) {
+    tree.originTree = this.lowercaseTree(tree.originTree);
   }
   return tree;
 };