diff --git a/src/app/config/mod.rs b/src/app/config/mod.rs
index 18766c4..f4ca855 100644
--- a/src/app/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/config/mod.rs
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ pub struct KernelTree {
     branch: String,
 }
 
+impl KernelTree {
+    pub fn new(path: String, branch: String) -> Self {
+        Self { path, branch }
+    }
+}
+
 impl Default for Config {
     fn default() -> Self {
         let home = env::var("HOME").unwrap_or_else(|_| {
@@ -151,6 +157,10 @@ impl Config {
         self.page_size
     }
 
+    pub fn add_kernel_tree(&mut self, id: String, kernel_tree: KernelTree) {
+        self.kernel_trees.insert(id, kernel_tree);
+    }
+
     pub fn set_page_size(&mut self, page_size: usize) {
         self.page_size = page_size;
     }
@@ -176,6 +186,10 @@ impl Config {
         self.git_am_options = git_am_options;
     }
 
+    pub fn set_target_kernel_tree(&mut self, kernel_tree_id: Option<String>) {
+        self.target_kernel_tree = kernel_tree_id;
+    }
+
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     /// Returns the list of names of the registered kernel trees
     pub fn kernel_trees(&self) -> HashSet<&String> {
diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index 555362f..248d1f2 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ impl App {
                 .details_actions
                 .as_ref()
                 .unwrap()
-                .apply_patchset(&self.config)
+                .apply_patchset(&mut self.config)
             {
                 Ok(msg) => InfoPopUp::generate_info_popup("Patchset Apply Success", &msg),
                 Err(msg) => InfoPopUp::generate_info_popup("Patchset Apply Fail", &msg),
diff --git a/src/app/screens/details_actions.rs b/src/app/screens/details_actions.rs
index a3807cd..0d56ab0 100644
--- a/src/app/screens/details_actions.rs
+++ b/src/app/screens/details_actions.rs
@@ -231,18 +231,35 @@ impl DetailsActions {
     /// Checks if there is a `target_kernel_tree` and if it is in `Config::kernel_trees` and if
     /// that kernel tree is a valid git directory.
     ///
-    /// Returns the a valid `KernelTree` or a `String` with the error message on failure.
-    fn validate_kernel_tree<'a>(&self, config: &'a Config) -> Result<&'a KernelTree, String> {
-        let kernel_tree_id = if let Some(target) = config.target_kernel_tree() {
-            target
+    /// Returns the a valid `KernelTree` and whether it was auto-detected.
+    fn validate_kernel_tree(&self, config: &mut Config) -> Result<(KernelTree, bool), String> {
+        let (kernel_tree, is_autodetected) = if let Some(target) = config.target_kernel_tree() {
+            (config.get_kernel_tree(target)
+                .ok_or_else(|| format!("invalid target kernel tree '{target}'"))?.clone(), false)
         } else {
-            return Err("target kernel tree unset".to_string());
-        };
+            let kernel_tree_path = self.get_current_kernel_tree()?;
+            let current_branch = self.get_current_branch(&KernelTree::new(
+                kernel_tree_path.clone(),
+                "".to_string(),
+            ))?;
+            let kernel_tree = KernelTree::new(kernel_tree_path, current_branch);
+
+            let kernel_tree_id = kernel_tree.path()
+                .split('/')
+                .last()
+                .unwrap_or("default")
+                .to_string();
+
+            config.set_target_kernel_tree(Some(kernel_tree_id.clone()));
+            config.add_kernel_tree(
+               kernel_tree_id.clone(),
+               kernel_tree.clone(),
+            );
+            config
+               .save_patch_hub_config()
+               .map_err(|e| format!("failed to save config: {e}"))?;
 
-        let kernel_tree = if let Some(tree) = config.get_kernel_tree(kernel_tree_id) {
-            tree
-        } else {
-            return Err(format!("invalid target kernel tree '{kernel_tree_id}'"));
+            (kernel_tree, true)
         };
 
         let kernel_tree_path = Path::new(kernel_tree.path());
@@ -252,7 +269,7 @@ impl DetailsActions {
             return Err(format!("{} isn't a git repository", kernel_tree.path()));
         }
 
-        Ok(kernel_tree)
+        Ok((kernel_tree, is_autodetected))
     }
 
     // Ensures the kernel directory is not currently in another git operation,
@@ -318,6 +335,32 @@ impl DetailsActions {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Get the current kernel tree
+    ///
+    /// Returns the kernel tree path as a `String` or a `String` with the error message on failure
+    fn get_current_kernel_tree(&self) -> Result<String, String> {
+        if Command::new("make")
+                .args(["-s", "kernelversion"])
+                .output()
+                .map_err(|_| "failed to get current kernel tree state".to_string())?
+                .status
+                .success()
+        {
+            let output = Command::new("git")
+                .args(["rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"])
+                .output()
+                .map_err(|_| "failed to get current kernel tree path".to_string())?;
+
+            if output.status.success() {
+                Ok(String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout).trim().to_owned())
+            } else {
+                Err("not in a valid kernel tree".to_string())
+            }
+        } else {
+            Err("not in a valid kernel tree".to_string())
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Get the current branch of the supplied kernel tree
     ///
     /// Returns the branch name as a `String` or a `String` with the error message on failure
@@ -435,19 +478,23 @@ impl DetailsActions {
     /// Returns a `Result<String, String>` containing either the success or the error message.
     /// # TODO:
     /// - Add unit tests
-    pub fn apply_patchset(&self, config: &Config) -> Result<String, String> {
-        let kernel_tree = self.validate_kernel_tree(config)?;
-        self.check_git_state(kernel_tree)?;
+    pub fn apply_patchset(&self, config: &mut Config) -> Result<String, String> {
+        let (kernel_tree, is_autodetected) = self.validate_kernel_tree(config)?;
+        self.check_git_state(&kernel_tree)?;
 
-        let original_branch = self.get_current_branch(kernel_tree)?;
-        let target_branch = self.create_target_branch(kernel_tree, config)?;
+        let original_branch = self.get_current_branch(&kernel_tree)?;
+        let target_branch = self.create_target_branch(&kernel_tree, config)?;
 
-        let git_am_result = self.run_git_am(kernel_tree, config);
-        self.switch_to_branch(kernel_tree, &original_branch)?;
+        let git_am_result = self.run_git_am(&kernel_tree, config);
+        self.switch_to_branch(&kernel_tree, &original_branch)?;
 
         match git_am_result {
             Ok(_) => {
-                Ok(format!(" Patchset '{}' applied successfully!\n\n - Kernel Tree: '{}'\n\n - Base Branch: '{}'\n\n - Applied branch: '{}'", self.representative_patch.title(), kernel_tree.path(), kernel_tree.branch(), &target_branch))
+                Ok(format!(" Patchset '{}' applied successfully!\n\n - Kernel Tree: '{}'{}\n\n - Base Branch: '{}'{}\n\n - Applied branch: '{}'",
+                    self.representative_patch.title(),
+                    kernel_tree.path(), if is_autodetected { " (auto-detected)" } else { "" },
+                    kernel_tree.branch(), if is_autodetected { " (auto-detected)" } else { "" },
+                    &target_branch))
         },
             Err(e) => Err(format!( "`git am` failed\n{}{}", &original_branch, e))
         }