diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_release.yml b/.github/workflows/test_release.yml
index d858b85..7160b2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_release.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make test
 
+      - name: test (different LOCALE)
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+        run: |
+          sudo locale-gen zh_CN.UTF-8
+          LC_ALL='zh_CN.UTF-8' make test
+
 
   release:
     if: (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main') && (github.repository_owner == 'mikesmithgh')
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3aec3a3..3054002 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -175,12 +175,12 @@ func main() {
 		util.ErrMsg("color reset", err)
 	}
 
-	gitRepo, stderr, err := git.RevParse()
+	gitRepo, _, err := git.RevParse()
 	if err != nil {
 		switch {
 		case strings.Contains(err.Error(), exec.ErrNotFound.Error()):
 			util.ErrMsg("rev parse", err)
-		case strings.Contains(string(stderr), "not a git repository"):
+		case gitRepo.IsInGitDir == nil:
 			os.Exit(0)
 		default:
 			// allow other errors to pass through, the git repo may not have upstream
diff --git a/pkg/git/git.go b/pkg/git/git.go
index 872eeba..fc6e32c 100644
--- a/pkg/git/git.go
+++ b/pkg/git/git.go
@@ -191,7 +191,8 @@ func RevParse() (*GitRepo, []byte, error) {
 		resultLen := len(result)
 		if resultLen == 5 || resultLen == 6 {
 			g.GitDir = result[0]
-			g.IsInGitDir, _ = strconv.ParseBool(result[1])
+			isInGitDir, _ := strconv.ParseBool(result[1])
+			g.IsInGitDir = &isInGitDir
 			g.IsInWorkTree, _ = strconv.ParseBool(result[2])
 			g.IsInBareRepo, _ = strconv.ParseBool(result[3])
 			g.IsInShallowRepo, _ = strconv.ParseBool(result[4])
diff --git a/pkg/git/repo.go b/pkg/git/repo.go
index 48b78ed..23916af 100644
--- a/pkg/git/repo.go
+++ b/pkg/git/repo.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 type GitRepo struct {
 	GitDir                     string
-	IsInGitDir                 bool
+	IsInGitDir                 *bool // pointer is used during checks if in a git repo
 	IsInWorkTree               bool
 	IsInBareRepo               bool
 	IsInShallowRepo            bool
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func (g *GitRepo) BranchInfo(cfg config.GitPromptStringConfig) (string, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if g.IsInGitDir {
+	if *g.IsInGitDir {
 		if g.IsInBareRepo {
 			g.PromptBareRepoStatus = "BARE:"
 		} else {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func (g *GitRepo) BranchStatus(cfg config.GitPromptStringConfig) (string, string
 	status := ""
 	statusColor := ""
 
-	if g.IsInBareRepo || g.IsInGitDir {
+	if g.IsInBareRepo || *g.IsInGitDir {
 		return status, cfg.ColorNoUpstream, nil
 	}