diff --git a/iiab-configure b/iiab-configure
index 5f2bbc943..345ca2d25 100755
--- a/iiab-configure
+++ b/iiab-configure
@@ -4,11 +4,42 @@ INVENTORY="ansible_hosts"
 PLAYBOOK="iiab-from-cmdline.yml"
 CWD=`pwd`
 APPS=/etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
+ENV=/etc/iiab/iiab.env
 if [ ! -f $PLAYBOOK ]; then
-    echo "Exiting: IIAB Playbook not found."
-    echo "Please run this in /opt/iiab/iiab (top level of the git repo)."
+    echo -e "\nExiting: IIAB Playbook not found."
+    echo -e "\nPlease run this in /opt/iiab/iiab (top level of the git repo)."
     exit 1
 fi
+if [ -f $ENV ]; then
+    STAGE=0
+    if grep -q STAGE= /etc/iiab/iiab.env ; then
+        source /etc/iiab/iiab.env
+        echo -e "\nExtracted STAGE="$STAGE" (counter) from /etc/iiab/iiab.env"
+        if ! [ "$STAGE" -eq "$STAGE" ] 2> /dev/null; then
+            echo -e "\nEXITING: STAGE (counter) value == "$STAGE" is non-integer"
+            exit 1
+        elif [ "$STAGE" -lt 0 ] || [ "$STAGE" -gt 9 ]; then
+            echo -e "\nEXITING: STAGE (counter) value == "$STAGE" is out-of-range"
+            exit 1
+        elif [ "$STAGE" -lt 3 ]; then
+            echo -e "\nEXITING: STAGE (counter) value == "$STAGE""
+            echo -e "\nIIAB stage 3 not complete"
+            echo -e "\nPlease run iiab-install"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    else
+        echo -e "\nEXITING: STAGE (counter) not found"
+        echo -e "\nIIAB not installed"
+        echo -e "\nPlease run iiab-install"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+else
+    echo -e "\nEXITING: /etc/iiab/iiab.env not found"
+    echo -e "\nIIAB not installed"
+    echo -e "\nPlease run iiab-install"
+    exit 1
+fi
+# workaround for image go away later
 if grep -q sugar $APPS; then
     if ! grep -q mongodb $APPS; then
         echo "mongodb_installed: True" >> $APPS
diff --git a/runrole b/runrole
index f5641e84e..6e46e4abb 100755
--- a/runrole
+++ b/runrole
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ INVENTORY="ansible_hosts"
 PLAYBOOK="run-one-role.yml"
 ARGS=""
 CWD=`pwd`
+APPS=/etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
 if [ ! -f $PLAYBOOK ]; then
     echo "Exiting: IIAB Playbook not found."
     echo "Please run this in /opt/iiab/iiab (top level of the git repo)."
@@ -18,19 +19,25 @@ if [[ $# -eq 0 ]] ; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
+# needed for stage 1-3 if not installed yet
+if [ ! -f $APPS ]; then
+    mkdir -p /etc/iiab
+    touch $APPS
+fi
+
 if [ "$1" == "--reinstall" ]; then
     ARGS="$ARGS --extra-vars reinstall=True"
     if [ ! $2 == "internetarchive" ]; then # special handling
         if [ $2 == "calibre-web" ]; then # role directory & installed marker differ
-            sed -i -e '/^calibreweb/d' /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
+            sed -i -e '/^calibreweb/d' $APPS
         fi
         if [ $2 == "captive-portal" ]; then # role directory & installed marker differ
-            sed -i -e '/^captiveportal/d' /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
+            sed -i -e '/^captiveportal/d' $APPS
         fi
         if [ $2 == "bluetooth" ]; then # role directory & installed marker differ
-            sed -i -e '/^pan_bluetooth/d' /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
+            sed -i -e '/^pan_bluetooth/d' $APPS
         fi
-        sed -i -e "/^$2/d" /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
+        sed -i -e "/^$2/d" $APPS
     fi
     shift 1
 fi
@@ -41,12 +48,5 @@ else
    export ANSIBLE_LOG_PATH="$CWD/iiab-debug.log"
 fi
 
-# Is the following stanza nec?
-if [ ! -f /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml ]; then
-    mkdir -p /etc/iiab
-    echo "{}" > /etc/iiab/config_vars2.yml
-fi
-
-
 ansible -m setup -i $INVENTORY localhost ${ARGS} --connection=local | grep python
 ansible-playbook -i $INVENTORY $PLAYBOOK ${ARGS} --connection=local -e "role_to_run=$1"