diff --git a/apply.ts b/apply.ts
index 03bc8785..c37f976b 100644
--- a/apply.ts
+++ b/apply.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ const getPaths = (
 		appliedPath: path.join(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit, filenames.applied),
 	} as const);
 
-const markThatNeedsToApply = (
+export const markThatNeedsToApply = (
 	pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit: string //
 ): void =>
 	[getPaths(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit)].map(
diff --git a/filenames.ts b/filenames.ts
index 4bb80660..276067c5 100644
--- a/filenames.ts
+++ b/filenames.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 export const filenames = {
 	rewrittenList: "rewritten-list",
+	willNeedToApply: "will-need-to-apply",
 	needsToApply: "needs-to-apply",
 	applied: "applied",
 	//
diff --git a/git-stacked-rebase.ts b/git-stacked-rebase.ts
index 4b65e2b5..23850074 100755
--- a/git-stacked-rebase.ts
+++ b/git-stacked-rebase.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { bullets } from "nice-comment";
 
 import { filenames } from "./filenames";
 import { configKeys } from "./configKeys";
-import { apply, applyIfNeedsToApply } from "./apply";
+import { apply, applyIfNeedsToApply, markThatNeedsToApply as _markThatNeedsToApply } from "./apply";
 import { forcePush } from "./forcePush";
 import { branchSequencer } from "./branchSequencer";
 
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ export const gitStackedRebase = async (
 		const pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit: string = parsed.pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit;
 		const pathToStackedRebaseTodoFile: string = parsed.pathToStackedRebaseTodoFile;
 
+		if (fs.existsSync(path.join(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit, filenames.willNeedToApply))) {
+			_markThatNeedsToApply(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit);
+		}
+
 		if (options.apply) {
 			return await apply({
 				repo,
@@ -704,7 +708,7 @@ mv -f "${preparedRegularRebaseTodoFile}" "${pathToRegularRebaseTodoFile}"
 		/**
 		 * will need to apply, unless proven otherwise
 		 */
-		markThatNeedsToApply();
+		fs.writeFileSync(path.join(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit, filenames.willNeedToApply), "");
 
 		/**
 		 * part 2 of "the different ways to launch git rebase"
@@ -780,11 +784,14 @@ mv -f "${preparedRegularRebaseTodoFile}" "${pathToRegularRebaseTodoFile}"
 		});
 		console.log("");
 
-		if (!rebaseChangedLocalHistory) {
-			/**
-			 * TODO `unmarkThatNeedsToApply` (NOT the same as `markThatApplied`!)
-			 */
-			// unmarkThatNeedsToApply();
+		fs.unlinkSync(path.join(pathToStackedRebaseDirInsideDotGit, filenames.willNeedToApply));
+		if (rebaseChangedLocalHistory) {
+			markThatNeedsToApply();
+		} else {
+			// /**
+			//  * TODO `unmarkThatNeedsToApply` (NOT the same as `markThatApplied`!)
+			//  */
+			// // unmarkThatNeedsToApply();
 		}
 
 		/**