diff --git a/contrib/README.md b/contrib/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..290381b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+Installing on Windows
+=====================
+
+1. git clone --recursive https://github.com/DarinMacRae/gitflow.git
+2. Open a command prompt with Administrative privilege
+     (Don't use Powershell)
+3. cd into gitflow\contrib
+4. ensure that GIT_HOME is pointing to the installation folder of Git 
+    e.g.
+         set GIT_HOME=C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Programs\Git\cmd
+         set GIT_HOME=C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin
+
+5. Run msysgit-install
+
+Note, that it works with installations of Git other than MSysGit.
+
diff --git a/contrib/msysgit-install.cmd b/contrib/msysgit-install.cmd
index 5f005bfa7..5b345e48c 100644
--- a/contrib/msysgit-install.cmd
+++ b/contrib/msysgit-install.cmd
@@ -20,25 +20,25 @@ call :ChkGetopt getopt.exe || set ERR=1
 if %ERR%==1 goto :End
 echo getopt.exe... Found
 
-if not exist "%GIT_HOME%\bin\git-flow" goto :Install
-echo GitFlow is already installed.>&2
+if not exist "%GIT_HOME%\git-hf" goto :Install
+echo HubFlow is already installed.>&2
 set /p mychoice="Do you want to replace it [y/n]"
 if "%mychoice%"=="y" goto :DeleteOldFiles
 goto :Abort
 
 :DeleteOldFiles
 echo Deleting old files...
-for /F %%i in ("%GIT_HOME%\git-flow*" "%GIT_HOME%\gitflow-*") do if exist "%%~fi" del /F /Q "%%~fi"
+for /F %%i in ("%GIT_HOME%\git-hf*" "%GIT_HOME%\git-hf-*" "%GIT_HOME%\hubflow-*") do if exist "%%~fi" del /F /Q "%%~fi"
 
 :Install
 echo Copying files...
 ::goto :EOF
-xcopy "%~dp0\..\git-flow"            "%GIT_HOME%\bin"                 /Y /R /F
+xcopy "%~dp0\..\git-hf"            "%GIT_HOME%"                 /Y /R /F
 if errorlevel 4 if not errorlevel 5 goto :AccessDenied
 if errorlevel 1 set ERR=1
-xcopy "%~dp0\..\git-flow*"           "%GIT_HOME%\bin"                 /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
-xcopy "%~dp0\..\gitflow-*"           "%GIT_HOME%\bin"                 /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
-xcopy "%~dp0\..\shFlags\src\shflags" "%GIT_HOME%\bin\gitflow-shFlags" /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
+xcopy "%~dp0\..\git-hf*"           "%GIT_HOME%"                 /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
+xcopy "%~dp0\..\hubflow-*"           "%GIT_HOME%"                 /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
+xcopy "%~dp0\..\shFlags\src\shflags" "%GIT_HOME%\hubflow-shFlags" /Y /R /F || set ERR=1
 
 if %ERR%==1 choice /T 30 /C Y /D Y /M "Some unexpected errors happened. Sorry, you'll have to fix them by yourself."
 
diff --git a/git-hf-feature b/git-hf-feature
index 03fba4c20..b3f40e327 100644
--- a/git-hf-feature
+++ b/git-hf-feature
@@ -483,15 +483,15 @@ cmd_checkout() {
 	#
 	# - https://github.com/bmomberger-reciprocity
 	# - https://github.com/jhofmeyr
-
-	# does the feature already exist?
-	if git_local_branch_exists "$BRANCH" ; then
+	
+		# does the feature already exist?
+	if git_local_branch_exists "$FEATURE_BRANCH" ; then
 		# we have a local branch - use that
-		hubflow_change_branch "$BRANCH"
-	elif git_remote_branch_exists "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH" ; then
+		hubflow_change_branch "$FEATURE_BRANCH"
+	elif git_remote_branch_exists "$ORIGIN/$FEATURE_BRANCH" ; then
 		# we have a remote branch - create a local feature branch based
 		# on the remote branch
-		git checkout -b "$BRANCH" --track "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH"
+		git checkout -b "$FEATURE_BRANCH" --track "$ORIGIN/$FEATURE_BRANCH"
 	else
 		# the user is really trying to start a new feature
 		#
diff --git a/hubflow-common b/hubflow-common
index cf515ad33..fc0a137e8 100644
--- a/hubflow-common
+++ b/hubflow-common
@@ -260,6 +260,11 @@ hubflow_change_branch() {
 }
 
 hubflow_branch_push() {
+    # make sure we have something to push onto the stack
+    if [[ -z $1 ]] ; then
+        die "*** internal error: attempt to push empty item onto the stack"
+    fi
+
     # make sure we have a stack to push onto
     if [[ -z BRANCH_STACK ]] ; then
         BRANCH_STACK=()
@@ -285,10 +290,11 @@ hubflow_branch_pop() {
     # make sure the stack is not empty
     [[ $BRANCH_STACK_SP != 0 ]] || die "Internal error: attempt to pop from empty BRANCH_STACK"
 
-    # pop the branch from the stack
-    local popped_branch=${BRANCH_STACK[$BRANCH_STACK_SP]}
-    BRANCH_STACK[$BRANCH_STACK_SP]=
-    let "BRANCH_STACK_SP -= 1"
+     # pop the branch from the stack
+     local tmp_branch_sp=$BRANCH_STACK_SP
+     let "BRANCH_STACK_SP -= 1"
+     local popped_branch=${BRANCH_STACK[$BRANCH_STACK_SP]}
+     unset BRANCH_STACK[$tmp_branch_sp]
 
     # do we need to switch branch too?
     hubflow_change_branch "$popped_branch"