diff --git a/fre/make/fremake.py b/fre/make/fremake.py
index 1d5451443..b71e4a33b 100644
--- a/fre/make/fremake.py
+++ b/fre/make/fremake.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def make_cli():
               The default behavior is to generate the scripts, but not execute.""")
 @click.option("--force-checkout",
               is_flag = True,
+              default = False, 
               help = "Force a git checkout if the source directory already exists.")
 @click.option("-v",
               "--verbose",
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ def all(yamlfile, platform, target, nparallel, makejobs, gitjobs, no_parallel_ch
               The default behavior is to generate the script, but not execute.""")
 @click.option("--force-checkout",
               is_flag = True,
+              default = False,
               help = "Force a git checkout if the source directory already exists.")
 def checkout_script(yamlfile, platform, target, no_parallel_checkout, gitjobs, execute, force_checkout):
     """ - Write the checkout script """
diff --git a/fre/make/run_fremake_script.py b/fre/make/run_fremake_script.py
index f17693618..ec506cbc2 100644
--- a/fre/make/run_fremake_script.py
+++ b/fre/make/run_fremake_script.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ def fremake_run(yamlfile:str, platform:str, target:str,
                 no_parallel_checkout: Optional[bool] = None,
                 no_format_transfer: Optional[bool] = False,
                 execute: Optional[bool] = False,
-                force_checkout: Optional[bool] = False,
-                verbose: Optional[bool] = None):
+                verbose: Optional[bool] = None,
+                force_checkout: Optional[bool] = False):
     """
     Runs all of fre make code
 
diff --git a/fre/make/tests/test_run_fremake.py b/fre/make/tests/test_run_fremake.py
index fa4b8b89a..017fcc9b8 100644
--- a/fre/make/tests/test_run_fremake.py
+++ b/fre/make/tests/test_run_fremake.py
@@ -56,21 +56,24 @@ def test_bad_platform_option():
     ''' test run-fremake with a invalid platform option'''
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, BADOPT, TARGET,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=False,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 @pytest.mark.xfail()
 def test_bad_target_option():
     ''' test run-fremake with a invalid target option'''
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, PLATFORM, BADOPT,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=False,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE, 
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 @pytest.mark.xfail()
 def test_bad_yamlpath_option():
     ''' test run-fremake with a invalid target option'''
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(BADOPT[0], PLATFORM, TARGET,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=False,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 # tests script/makefile creation without executing (serial compile)
 # first test runs the run-fremake command, subsequent tests check for creation of scripts
@@ -79,7 +82,8 @@ def test_run_fremake_serial():
     os.environ["TEST_BUILD_DIR"] = SERIAL_TEST_PATH
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, PLATFORM, TARGET,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=False,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 def test_run_fremake_compile_script_creation_serial():
     ''' check for compile script creation from previous test '''
@@ -96,13 +100,35 @@ def test_run_fremake_makefile_creation_serial():
     assert Path(
         f"{SERIAL_TEST_PATH}/fremake_canopy/test/{EXPERIMENT}/{PLATFORM[0]}-{TARGET[0]}/exec/Makefile").exists()
 
+def test_run_fremake_force_checkout_serial(caplog):
+    ''' run fre make with run-fremake subcommand and build the null model experiment with gnu'''
+    os.environ["TEST_BUILD_DIR"] = SERIAL_TEST_PATH
+
+    # double check checkout script exists already
+    assert Path(
+        f"{SERIAL_TEST_PATH}/fremake_canopy/test/{EXPERIMENT}/src/checkout.sh").exists()
+
+    # run fre make checkout-script with force-checkout
+    run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, PLATFORM, TARGET,
+        nparallel=True, makejobs=4, gitjobs=4, no_parallel_checkout=True,
+        no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=True)
+
+    # Check it exists, check output, check content
+    assert all(["Checkout script PREVIOUSLY created" in caplog.text,
+                "*** REMOVING CHECKOUT SCRIPT ***" in caplog.text,
+                "Checkout script created" in caplog.text,
+                Path(f"{SERIAL_TEST_PATH}/fremake_canopy/test/{EXPERIMENT}/src/checkout.sh").exists()])
+
 # same tests with multijob compile and non-parallel-checkout options enabled
 def test_run_fremake_multijob():
     ''' run fre make with run-fremake subcommand and build the null model experiment with gnu'''
     os.environ["TEST_BUILD_DIR"] = MULTIJOB_TEST_PATH
+
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, PLATFORM, TARGET,
         nparallel=True, makejobs=4, gitjobs=4, no_parallel_checkout=True,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 def test_run_fremake_compile_script_creation_multijob():
     ''' check for compile script creation from previous test '''
@@ -124,7 +150,8 @@ def test_run_fremake_container():
     '''run run-fremake with options for containerized build'''
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, CONTAINER_PLATFORM, TARGET,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=True,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 def test_run_fremake_build_script_creation_container():
     ''' checks container build script creation from previous test '''
@@ -151,7 +178,8 @@ def test_run_fremake_container_2stage():
     '''run run-fremake with options for containerized build'''
     run_fremake_script.fremake_run(YAMLPATH, CONTAINER_PLAT2, TARGET,
         nparallel=False, makejobs=1, gitjobs=1, no_parallel_checkout=True,
-	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE)
+	no_format_transfer=False, execute=False, verbose=VERBOSE,
+        force_checkout=False)
 
 def test_run_fremake_build_script_creation_container_2stage():
     ''' checks container build script creation from previous test '''