diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index 6babdc5..ffd3c66 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ env:
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [development, master, feature/incremental_sync_and_schema_logging]
+    branches: [development, master]
   pull_request:
     branches: [ master ]
 
diff --git a/target_bigquery/utils.py b/target_bigquery/utils.py
index 577d2cb..98c9fb9 100644
--- a/target_bigquery/utils.py
+++ b/target_bigquery/utils.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 from google.api_core import exceptions
 from google.cloud import bigquery
 from google.cloud.bigquery import Dataset
+from google.cloud.exceptions import NotFound
+from google.cloud.bigquery import DatasetReference
 
 logger = singer.get_logger()
 
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ def emit_state(state):
 
 def ensure_dataset(project_id, dataset_id, location):
     """
-    Given a project id, dataset id and location, creates BigQuery dataset
+    Given a project id, dataset id and location, creates BigQuery dataset if not exists
 
     https://googleapis.dev/python/bigquery/latest/generated/google.cloud.bigquery.client.Client.html
 
@@ -39,17 +41,20 @@ def ensure_dataset(project_id, dataset_id, location):
     :param location, str: location for the dataset (US). Passed to bigquery.Client().
     :return: client (BigQuery Client Object) and Dataset (BigQuery dataset)
     """
-    from google.cloud.bigquery import DatasetReference
+
     client = bigquery.Client(project=project_id, location=location)
 
     dataset_ref = DatasetReference(project_id, dataset_id)
+
     try:
-        client.create_dataset(dataset_ref)
-    except exceptions.GoogleAPICallError as e:
-        if e.response.status_code == 409:  # dataset exists
-            pass
-        else:
+        dataset = client.get_dataset(dataset_ref)
+        return client, dataset
+
+    except NotFound:
+        try:
+            client.create_dataset(dataset_ref)
+        except exceptions.GoogleAPICallError as e:
             logger.critical(f"unable to create dataset {dataset_id} in project {project_id}; Exception {e}")
             return 2  # sys.exit(2)
 
-    return client, Dataset(dataset_ref)
+        return client, Dataset(dataset_ref)
diff --git a/tests/test_target_bigquery_utils.py b/tests/test_target_bigquery_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c7c1c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_target_bigquery_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import os
+import json
+from google.cloud.bigquery import Dataset
+from google.cloud import bigquery
+from google.cloud.exceptions import NotFound
+import pytest
+import logging
+
+from tests import unittestcore
+from target_bigquery.utils import ensure_dataset
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class TestTargetBigQueryUtils(unittestcore.BaseUnitTest):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+
+        self.config_file = os.path.join(
+            os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))), 'sandbox'),
+            'target-config.json')
+
+        config = json.load(open(self.config_file))
+
+        self.project_id = config["project_id"]
+
+        self.dataset_id = "target_bigquery_unit_test_ensure_dataset_function"  # config["dataset_id"]
+
+        self.location = config.get("location", "US")
+
+        self.client = bigquery.Client(project=self.project_id)
+
+    def test_ensure_dataset(self):
+        """
+        the purpose of this test is to show that the dataset is obtained, if it already exists
+        if it doesn't exist then it's created and then it is obtained
+        """
+
+        # make sure dataset doesn't exist yet
+        logger.info("Dataset doesn't exist yet")
+        self.delete_dataset()
+
+        # assert that dataset doesn't exist yet
+        with pytest.raises(NotFound):
+            self.client.get_dataset(self.dataset_id)  # Make an API request.
+
+        # PART 1
+        # create dataset and get dataset
+        client_1, dataset_newly_created = ensure_dataset(project_id=self.project_id,
+                                                         dataset_id=self.dataset_id,
+                                                         location=self.location)
+
+        # PART 2 (identical code to part 1, but now the dataset already exists)
+        # get dataset if dataset already exists
+        client_2, dataset_already_exists = ensure_dataset(project_id=self.project_id,
+                                                          dataset_id=self.dataset_id,
+                                                          location=self.location)
+        # PART 3: checks
+        dataset_list = [dataset_newly_created, dataset_already_exists]
+
+        for next_dataset in dataset_list:
+            dataset_dict = next_dataset.__dict__
+
+            assert type(next_dataset) == Dataset
+            assert dataset_dict["_properties"]["datasetReference"]["projectId"] == self.project_id
+            assert dataset_dict["_properties"]["datasetReference"]["datasetId"] == self.dataset_id
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.delete_dataset()
+
+    def delete_dataset(self):
+        try:
+            self.client.delete_dataset(
+                dataset=self.dataset_id,
+                delete_contents=True
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(e)
+            pass