diff --git a/bzr.go b/bzr.go
index ee1a302..1e0eb4b 100644
--- a/bzr.go
+++ b/bzr.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func (s *BzrRepo) UpdateCmd() (string, []string) {
 // Update performs a Bzr pull and update to an existing checkout.
 func (s *BzrRepo) Update() error {
 	name, args := s.UpdateCmd()
-	out, err := s.run(name, args...)
+	out, err := s.RunFromDir(name, args...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return NewRemoteError("Unable to update repository", err, string(out))
 	}
diff --git a/git.go b/git.go
index 2f5782a..e39fb26 100644
--- a/git.go
+++ b/git.go
@@ -155,9 +155,14 @@ func (s *GitRepo) Update() error {
 	// Perform a fetch to make sure everything is up to date.
 	cmd, args := s.FetchCmd()
 	out, err := s.RunFromDir(cmd, args...)
+
 	err = s.FetchError(out, err)
-	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "In detached head state, do not pull") {
-		return nil
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "In detached head state, do not pull") {
+			return nil
+		} else {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	cmd, args = s.UpdateCmd()
 	out, err = s.RunFromDir(cmd, args...)
diff --git a/hg.go b/hg.go
index e1c7852..5e76d6a 100644
--- a/hg.go
+++ b/hg.go
@@ -82,28 +82,38 @@ func (s *HgRepo) InitCmd() (string, []string) {
 	return "hg", []string{"init", s.LocalPath()}
 }
 
+func (s *HgRepo) InitError(out []byte, err error) error {
+	if err != nil {
+		return NewLocalError("Unable to initialize repository", err, string(out))
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 // Init will initialize a mercurial repository at local location.
 func (s *HgRepo) Init() error {
 	name, args := s.InitCmd()
 	out, err := s.run(name, args...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return NewLocalError("Unable to initialize repository", err, string(out))
-	}
-	return nil
+
+	return s.InitError(out, err)
 }
 
 func (s *HgRepo) UpdateCmd() (string, []string) {
 	return "hg", []string{"update"}
 }
 
-// Update performs a Mercurial pull to an existing checkout.
-func (s *HgRepo) Update() error {
-	name, args := s.UpdateCmd()
-	out, err := s.run(name, args...)
+func (s *HgRepo) UpdateError(out []byte, err error) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return NewRemoteError("Unable to update repository", err, string(out))
 	}
-	return nil
+	return err
+}
+
+// Update performs a Mercurial pull to an existing checkout.
+func (s *HgRepo) Update() error {
+	name, args := s.UpdateCmd()
+	out, err := s.RunFromDir(name, args...)
+
+	return s.UpdateError(out, err)
 }
 
 // UpdateVersion sets the version of a package currently checked out via Hg.
diff --git a/svn.go b/svn.go
index 3d4044c..b6eec3a 100644
--- a/svn.go
+++ b/svn.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (s *SvnRepo) Get() error {
 }
 
 func (s *SvnRepo) InitCmd() (string, []string) {
-	return "svn", []string{"svnadmin", "create", s.Remote()}
+	return "svnadmin", []string{"create", s.Remote()}
 }
 
 // Init will create a svn repository at remote location.