diff --git a/src/git.js b/src/git.js
index 5cfd3c17..3bec7224 100644
--- a/src/git.js
+++ b/src/git.js
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ GitEngine.prototype.printAndCopyTree = function() {
 
 GitEngine.prototype.loadTree = function(tree) {
   // first clear everything
+  // debugger
   this.removeAll();
-  
+
   this.instantiateFromTree(tree);
 
   this.reloadGraphics();
@@ -111,10 +112,12 @@ GitEngine.prototype.instantiateFromTree = function(tree) {
     this.commitCollection.add(commit);
   }, this);
 
+  gitVisuals.paperReady = false;
   _.each(tree.branches, function(branchJSON) {
     var branch = this.getOrMakeRecursive(tree, createdSoFar, branchJSON.id);
     this.branchCollection.add(branch);
   }, this);
+  gitVisuals.paperReady = true;
 
   var HEAD = this.getOrMakeRecursive(tree, createdSoFar, tree.HEAD.id);
   this.HEAD = HEAD;
@@ -122,11 +125,14 @@ GitEngine.prototype.instantiateFromTree = function(tree) {
 
 GitEngine.prototype.reloadGraphics = function() {
   var rootCommit = null;
+
   this.commitCollection.each(function(commit) {
+    console.log('finding commit from collection', commit.get('id'));
     if (commit.get('id') == 'C0') {
       rootCommit = commit;
     }
   });
+
   gitVisuals.rootCommit = rootCommit;
 
   // this just basically makes the HEAD branch. the head branch really should have been
@@ -135,9 +141,9 @@ GitEngine.prototype.reloadGraphics = function() {
   gitVisuals.whenGitEngineReady(this);
 
   // when the paper is ready
-  gitVisuals.drawTreeFirstTime();
+  gitVisuals.drawTreeFromReload();
 
-  console.log('refreshing hars');
+  console.log('refreshing harsh');
   gitVisuals.refreshTreeHarsh();
 };
 
@@ -209,10 +215,10 @@ GitEngine.prototype.getOrMakeRecursive = function(tree, createdSoFar, objID) {
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.removeAll = function() {
-  gitVisuals.resetAll();
-
   this.branchCollection.reset();
   this.commitCollection.reset();
+
+  gitVisuals.resetAll();
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.getDetachedHead = function() {
diff --git a/src/tree.js b/src/tree.js
index 710696a1..6a49db23 100644
--- a/src/tree.js
+++ b/src/tree.js
@@ -123,10 +123,14 @@ var VisBranch = VisBase.extend({
   },
 
   getRectPosition: function() {
+    console.log('before text pos');
     var pos = this.getTextPosition();
+    console.log('wut');
     var f = this.get('flip');
     // first get text width and height
+    console.log('before text size');
     var textSize = this.getTextSize();
+    console.log('text size');
     return {
       x: pos.x - 0.5 * textSize.w - this.get('hPad'),
       y: pos.y - 0.5 * textSize.h - this.get('vPad')
@@ -274,10 +278,13 @@ var VisBranch = VisBase.extend({
   },
 
   genGraphics: function(paper) {
-    var textPos = this.getTextPosition();
 
+    var textPos = this.getTextPosition();
     var name = this.getName();
-    var text = paper.text(textPos.x, textPos.y, String(name));
+    var text;
+
+    // when from a reload, we dont need to generate the text
+    text = paper.text(textPos.x, textPos.y, String(name));
     text.attr({
       'font-size': 14,
       'font-family': 'Monaco, Courier, font-monospace',
diff --git a/src/visuals.js b/src/visuals.js
index 63ce2703..a9291bee 100644
--- a/src/visuals.js
+++ b/src/visuals.js
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.addBranch = function(branch) {
 
   this.visBranchCollection.add(visBranch);
   if (this.paperReady) {
+    console.log('PAPEPR IS READY');
     visBranch.genGraphics(paper);
   }
 };
@@ -494,19 +495,33 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.visBranchesFront = function() {
   });
 };
 
+GitVisuals.prototype.drawTreeFromReload = function() {
+  this.paperReady = true;
+  this.calcTreeCoords();
+
+  this.visBranchCollection.each(function(visBranch) {
+    visBranch.genGraphics(paper, {
+      fromReload: true
+    });
+  }, this);
+};
+
 GitVisuals.prototype.drawTreeFirstTime = function() {
   this.paperReady = true;
   this.calcTreeCoords();
 
   _.each(this.visNodeMap, function(visNode) {
+    console.log('visnode map is doing', visNode);
     visNode.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);
 
   this.visEdgeCollection.each(function(edge) {
+    console.log('vis edge collection', edge);
     edge.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);
 
   this.visBranchCollection.each(function(visBranch) {
+    console.log('vis rabnch', visBranch);
     visBranch.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);