diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3f810327..53771e5b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ You can confirm installation via `conda list`
 (curation) $ conda list ldcoolp
 ```
 
-You should see that the version is `0.16.1`.
+You should see that the version is `0.16.2`.
 
 ### Configuration Settings
 
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ following a `git tag` version.
 A list of released features and their issue number(s).
 List is sorted from moderate to minor revisions for reach release.
 
-v0.16.0 - v0.16.1:
+v0.16.0 - v0.16.2:
+ * Improved handling of .git set-up in `git_info` #124, #125
  * `update` method for `ReadmeClass` to enable updating README.txt file #73, #122
  * `update_readme` script to enable easy revision #73
  * Scripts are executable #110
diff --git a/ldcoolp/__init__.py b/ldcoolp/__init__.py
index 01d3d31f..dd021bca 100644
--- a/ldcoolp/__init__.py
+++ b/ldcoolp/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from os import path
 
-__version__ = "0.16.1"
+__version__ = "0.16.2"
 
 co_path = path.dirname(__file__)
 
diff --git a/ldcoolp/git_info.py b/ldcoolp/git_info.py
index 8feb11cf..afc992d4 100644
--- a/ldcoolp/git_info.py
+++ b/ldcoolp/git_info.py
@@ -1,27 +1,39 @@
 from pathlib import Path
-
-
-def get_active_branch_name(input_path="."):
-
-    head_dir = Path(input_path) / ".git" / "HEAD"
-    with head_dir.open("r") as f:
-        content = f.read().splitlines()
-
-    for line in content:
-        if line[0:4] == "ref:":
-            return line.partition("refs/heads/")[2]
-
-
-def get_latest_commit(input_path="."):
-
-    head_dir = Path(input_path) / ".git" / "HEAD"
-    with head_dir.open("r") as f:
-        content = f.read().splitlines()
-
-    for line in content:
-        if line[0:4] == "ref:":
-            head_path = Path(f".git/{line.partition(' ')[2]}")
-            with head_path.open('r') as g:
-                commit = g.read().splitlines()
-
-    return commit[0], commit[0][:7]  # full and short hash
+from os.path import dirname, basename, exists, join
+
+# Get git root
+git_root = dirname(__file__.replace(f'/{basename(__file__)}', ''))
+
+
+def get_active_branch_name(input_path=git_root):
+    if exists(join(input_path, ".git", "HEAD")):
+        head_dir = Path(input_path) / ".git" / "HEAD"
+        with head_dir.open("r") as f:
+            content = f.read().splitlines()
+
+        for line in content:
+            if line[0:4] == "ref:":
+                return line.partition("refs/heads/")[2]
+            else:
+                return f"HEAD detached : {content[0]}"
+    else:
+        return '.git structure does not exist'
+
+
+def get_latest_commit(input_path=git_root):
+
+    if exists(join(input_path, ".git", "HEAD")):
+        head_dir = Path(input_path) / ".git" / "HEAD"
+        with head_dir.open("r") as f:
+            content = f.read().splitlines()
+
+        for line in content:
+            if line[0:4] == "ref:":
+                head_path = Path(join(input_path, f".git/{line.partition(' ')[2]}"))
+                with head_path.open('r') as g:
+                    commit = g.read().splitlines()
+            else:
+                commit = content
+        return commit[0], commit[0][:7]  # full and short hash
+    else:
+        return '.git structure does not exist', ''
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 01451c7d..f69e23c3 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name='ldcoolp',
-    version='v0.16.1',
+    version='v0.16.2',
     packages=['ldcoolp'],
     url='https://github.com/ualibraries/LD_Cool_P',
     license='MIT License',