diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index a858551..997ef3f 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ Imports:
     fs,
     usethis
 Config/roxygen2/version: 8.0.0
-Suggests: 
+Suggests:
+    gert,
+    gh,
     testthat (>= 3.0.0)
 Config/testthat/edition: 3
 URL: https://mi-erasmusmc.github.io/studyGenerics/
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 2c2ce2f..a381a5e 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -27,14 +27,6 @@ importFrom(cli,cli_alert_info)
 importFrom(cli,cli_alert_success)
 importFrom(cli,cli_alert_warning)
 importFrom(fs,path_ext_set)
-importFrom(gert,git_branch)
-importFrom(gert,git_branch_checkout)
-importFrom(gert,git_branch_create)
-importFrom(gert,git_branch_exists)
-importFrom(gert,git_pull)
-importFrom(gh,gh)
-importFrom(gh,gh_token_exists)
-importFrom(gh,gh_tree_remote)
 importFrom(glue,glue)
 importFrom(glue,glue_collapse)
 importFrom(here,here)
diff --git a/R/getPkgZips.R b/R/getPkgZips.R
index 6903e94..a72d57f 100644
--- a/R/getPkgZips.R
+++ b/R/getPkgZips.R
@@ -411,3 +411,33 @@ mockLock <- function() {
   return(lockfile)
 }
 
+suppPackages <- function() {
+  list(
+    Packages = list(
+      devtools = list(
+        Package = "devtools",
+        Version = "2.5.2"
+      ), # 2.5.2 exists in multiple releases, should pick from the newest (R v4.6)
+      dplyr = list(
+        Package = "dplyr",
+        Version = "0.6"
+      ), # there is no 0.6 in any of the releases, should get v1.2.1 as alternate from R v4.4
+      tidyrr = list(
+        Package = "tidyr",
+        Version = "1.3.2"
+      ), # tidyrr does not exist
+      RPostgres = list(
+        Package = "RPostgres",
+        Version = NULL
+      ), # no version provided, should get v1.4.10 as alternate from R v4.4
+      renv = list(
+        Package = "renv",
+        Version = "1.0.7"
+      ), # renv already exists in lockfile, if override_lock = TRUE, should get v1.0.7 from R v4.2
+      xfun = list(
+        Package = "xfun",
+        Version = NULL
+      )
+    )
+  ) # xfun already exists in lockfile, if override_lock = TRUE, should get v0.57 from R v4.4
+}
diff --git a/R/versionControl.R b/R/versionControl.R
index 73ea70c..ac11872 100644
--- a/R/versionControl.R
+++ b/R/versionControl.R
@@ -8,14 +8,24 @@
 #'
 #' @returns A message with the link of the PR
 #' @importFrom checkmate assertCharacter assertLogical assertTRUE checkClass
-#' @importFrom gh gh gh_tree_remote gh_token_exists
-#' @importFrom gert git_branch_create git_branch
 #' @export
 issueOpen <- function(
   title, 
   body,
   newBranch = FALSE
 ) {
+  if (!requireNamespace("gh", quietly = TRUE)) {
+    stop(
+      "Package \"gh\" must be installed to use this function.",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
+  if (!requireNamespace("gert", quietly = TRUE)) {
+    stop(
+      "Package \"gert\" must be installed to use this function.",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
   checkmate::assertCharacter(
     title,
     len = 1,
@@ -84,14 +94,24 @@ issueOpen <- function(
 #'
 #' @returns A message with the link of the issue
 #' @importFrom checkmate assertCharacter assertLogical assertTRUE checkClass
-#' @importFrom gh gh gh_tree_remote gh_token_exists
-#' @importFrom gert git_branch_create git_branch
 #' @export
 pullRequest <- function(
   title,
   body,
   base = "develop"
 ) {
+  if (!requireNamespace("gh", quietly = TRUE)) {
+    stop(
+      "Package \"gh\" must be installed to use this function.",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
+  if (!requireNamespace("gert", quietly = TRUE)) {
+    stop(
+      "Package \"gert\" must be installed to use this function.",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
   checkmate::assertCharacter(
     title,
     len = 1,
@@ -134,9 +154,14 @@ pullRequest <- function(
 #' and pull latest changes
 #'
 #' @returns Git log messages after checking out and pulling 'develop'
-#' @importFrom gert git_branch_exists git_branch_checkout git_pull
 #' @export
 developCheckout <- function() {
+  if (!requireNamespace("gert", quietly = TRUE)) {
+    stop(
+      "Package \"gert\" must be installed to use this function.",
+      call. = FALSE
+    )
+  }
   branch <- "develop"
   if (gert::git_branch_exists(branch)) {
     gert::git_branch_checkout(
diff --git a/studyGenerics.Rproj b/studyGenerics.Rproj
index 270314b..f18f51a 100644
--- a/studyGenerics.Rproj
+++ b/studyGenerics.Rproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Version: 1.0
+sVersion: 1.0
 
 RestoreWorkspace: Default
 SaveWorkspace: Default
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-getPkgZips.R b/tests/testthat/test-getPkgZips.R
index 0daaf50..22257e8 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-getPkgZips.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-getPkgZips.R
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ test_that("Message checks - lockfile only", {
 # Test on  lockfile + supp, override_lock = FALSE ----
 test_that("Message checks - lockfile + supp, override_lock = FALSE", {
 
-  msgs <- capture_messages(pkg_summary <- getPkgZips(lockfile_path = lockfile, supplement = supp))
+  lockfile <- mockLock()
+  msgs <- capture_messages(pkg_summary <- getPkgZips(lockfile_path = lockfile, supplement = suppPackages()))
 
   expect_true(any(grepl("PACKAGE NOT FOUND: Unable to find DarwinShinyModules v0.4.0 or a suitable alternate version under R v4.4", msgs)))
   expect_true(any(grepl("PACKAGE NOT FOUND: Unable to find utils vUNSPECIFIED or a suitable alternate version under R v4.4", msgs)))
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ test_that("Message checks - lockfile + supp, override_lock = FALSE", {
 test_that("Message checks - lockfile + supp, override_lock = TRUE", {
 
   lockfile <- mockLock()
-  msgs <- capture_messages(pkg_summary <- getPkgZips(lockfile_path = lockfile, supplement = supp, override_lock = TRUE))
+  msgs <- capture_messages(pkg_summary <- getPkgZips(lockfile_path = lockfile, supplement = suppPackages(), override_lock = TRUE))
 
   expect_true(any(grepl("PACKAGE NOT FOUND: Unable to find DarwinShinyModules v0.4.0 or a suitable alternate version under R v4.4", msgs)))
   expect_true(any(grepl("PACKAGE NOT FOUND: Unable to find utils vUNSPECIFIED or a suitable alternate version under R v4.4", msgs)))
@@ -103,34 +104,8 @@ test_that("mockLock()", {
 
   lockfile <- mockLock()
   # Create a supplementary file ----
-  supp <- list(
-    Packages = list(
-      devtools = list(
-        Package = "devtools",
-        Version = "2.5.2"
-      ), # 2.5.2 exists in multiple releases, should pick from the newest (R v4.6)
-      dplyr = list(
-        Package = "dplyr",
-        Version = "0.6"
-      ), # there is no 0.6 in any of the releases, should get v1.2.1 as alternate from R v4.4
-      tidyrr = list(
-        Package = "tidyr",
-        Version = "1.3.2"
-      ), # tidyrr does not exist
-      RPostgres = list(
-        Package = "RPostgres",
-        Version = NULL
-      ), # no version provided, should get v1.4.10 as alternate from R v4.4
-      renv = list(
-        Package = "renv",
-        Version = "1.0.7"
-      ), # renv already exists in lockfile, if override_lock = TRUE, should get v1.0.7 from R v4.2
-      xfun = list(
-        Package = "xfun",
-        Version = NULL
-      )
-    )
-  ) # xfun already exists in lockfile, if override_lock = TRUE, should get v0.57 from R v4.4
+  supp <- suppPackages()
+
   # Sanity check of counts ----
   lock <- renv::lockfile_read(lockfile)
   pkgs <- names(lock[["Packages"]])
@@ -151,7 +126,6 @@ test_that("mockLock()", {
   expect_equal(n_reqs, 46)
   # expect_equal(n_reqs_wo_overlap, 41)
   expect_equal(n_all, 56) # not 58 bc of the supps overlap
-
 })
 
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-versionControl.R b/tests/testthat/test-versionControl.R
deleted file mode 100644
index d259011..0000000
--- a/tests/testthat/test-versionControl.R
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-test_that("Opening issue and creating branch", {
-  issueOpen(
-    title = "Title Test Issue studyGenerics",
-    body = "Body Test Issue studyGenerics"
-  )
-})