diff --git a/github_api_req.py b/github_api_req.py
index 0591f23..623b941 100644
--- a/github_api_req.py
+++ b/github_api_req.py
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ def parse_milestones(milestones, earliest_date):
     for entry in milestones:
         #if entry date is more recent than the earliest date we're looking at
         # TODO: decide whether to use created_at or updated_at or closed_at
-        if dt.datetime.fromisoformat(entry['updated_at'][:-1]) > earliest_date:
-            count_of_milestones += 1
+        # problem is that no one closes their milestones?! hardly seems representative?!
+        # making this a note here, as both Tamburri and van Meijel use 'closed_at'
+        if entry['updated_at'] != None:
+            if dt.datetime.fromisoformat(entry['updated_at'][:-1]) > earliest_date:
+                count_of_milestones += 1
     return count_of_milestones
 
 
diff --git a/perceval_tasks.py b/perceval_tasks.py
index b57000a..05d3b99 100644
--- a/perceval_tasks.py
+++ b/perceval_tasks.py
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ def main(vcs_path, begin_date):
 # this is the primary function for getting the list of commits from perceval
 def get_perceval_log(vcs_path, begin_date):
     print(vcs_path)
-    repo_dir = '/tmp/' + str(vcs_path[0].split('/')[-1]) + ".git"
+    repo_dir = '/tmp/' + str(vcs_path[0].split('/')[-1])
+    #gitpath=repo_dir
     repo = Git(uri=vcs_path[0], gitpath=repo_dir)
     # this is a temporary date_from, will need to be more inclusive in the future
     fetched_commits = repo.fetch(from_date=begin_date)