diff --git a/src/build.ts b/src/build.ts
index 86d1165..016b64f 100644
--- a/src/build.ts
+++ b/src/build.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ async function build(args: string[]) {
   // write tutorial
   if (tutorial) {
     try {
-      await write(options.output, JSON.stringify(tutorial), "utf8");
+      await write(options.output, JSON.stringify(tutorial, null, 2), "utf8");
       console.info(`Success! See output at ${options.output}`);
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("Error writing tutorial json file:");
diff --git a/src/utils/commits.ts b/src/utils/commits.ts
index dd8f4bb..ab3ee34 100644
--- a/src/utils/commits.ts
+++ b/src/utils/commits.ts
@@ -45,41 +45,45 @@ export async function getCommits({
     throw new Error(`Code branch "${codeBranch}" not found`);
   }
 
-  console.log("branches", branches);
-
-  // Checkout the code branches
-  await git.checkout(codeBranch);
-
-  console.log("checked out");
-
-  // Load all logs
-  const logs = await git.log();
-
-  console.log("logs", logs);
+  // track the original branch in case of failure
+  const originalBranch = branches.current;
 
   // Filter relevant logs
   const commits: CommitLogObject = {};
 
-  for (const commit of logs.all) {
-    const matches = commit.message.match(
-      /^(?<stepId>(?<levelId>L\d+)(S\d+))(?<stepType>[QA])?/
-    );
-
-    if (matches && matches.length) {
-      // Use an object of commit arrays to collect all commits
-      const position = matches[0];
-      if (!commits[position]) {
-        // does not exist, create the list
-        commits[position] = [commit.hash];
-      } else {
-        // add to the list
-        commits[position].push(commit.hash);
+  try {
+    // Checkout the code branches
+    await git.checkout(codeBranch);
+
+    // Load all logs
+    const logs = await git.log();
+
+    for (const commit of logs.all) {
+      const matches = commit.message.match(
+        /^(?<stepId>(?<levelId>L\d+)(S\d+))(?<stepType>[QA])?/
+      );
+
+      if (matches && matches.length) {
+        // Use an object of commit arrays to collect all commits
+        const position = matches[0];
+        if (!commits[position]) {
+          // does not exist, create the list
+          commits[position] = [commit.hash];
+        } else {
+          // add to the list
+          commits[position].push(commit.hash);
+        }
       }
     }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("Error with checkout or commit matching");
+    throw new Error(e.message);
+  } finally {
+    // revert back to the original branch on failure
+    await git.checkout(originalBranch);
+    // cleanup the tmp directory
+    await rmdir(tmpDir, { recursive: true });
   }
 
-  console.log("remove");
-  // cleanup the tmp directory
-  await rmdir(tmpDir, { recursive: true });
   return commits;
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/parse.ts b/src/utils/parse.ts
index 36fc5d3..787331c 100644
--- a/src/utils/parse.ts
+++ b/src/utils/parse.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ export function parse(params: ParseParams): any {
   const mdContent: TutorialFrame = parseMdContent(params.text);
 
   const parsed: Partial<T.Tutorial> = {
+    version: params.config.version,
     summary: mdContent.summary,
     config: params.config.config,
     levels: [],
diff --git a/src/utils/schema/index.ts b/src/utils/schema/index.ts
index 29a9c4f..98d3fd6 100644
--- a/src/utils/schema/index.ts
+++ b/src/utils/schema/index.ts
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export default {
                         "The solution commits that can be loaded if the user gets stuck. It can also run commands and/or open files",
                     },
                     {
-                      required: ["commits"],
+                      required: [],
                     },
                   ],
                 },