diff --git a/roles/1-prep/tasks/main.yml b/roles/1-prep/tasks/main.yml
index e6e2b382a..02e39ccd1 100644
--- a/roles/1-prep/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/1-prep/tasks/main.yml
@@ -88,5 +88,13 @@
            url={{ iiab_download_url }}/iwlwifi-8000C-13.ucode
   when: first_run and usb_NUC6.stdout|int > 0
 
+# this script can be sourced to get IIAB location
+- name: Create iiab.env file
+  template: src=roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2
+            dest=/etc/iiab/iiab.env
+            owner=root
+            group=root
+            mode=0644
+
 - name: ...HAS COMPLETED ===========================================
   command: echo
diff --git a/roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2 b/roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2
index b472d4fe6..bd08f9441 100644
--- a/roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2
+++ b/roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ IIAB_DIR={{ iiab_dir }}
 OS={{ ansible_local.local_facts.os }}
 OS_VER={{ ansible_local.local_facts.os_ver }}
 WWWROOT={{ doc_root }}
+STAGE=1
diff --git a/roles/2-common/tasks/main.yml b/roles/2-common/tasks/main.yml
index bfb69887b..e67044a85 100644
--- a/roles/2-common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/2-common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -48,5 +48,11 @@
 
 - include: udev.yml
 
+- name: Record STAGE
+  lineinfile: dest=/etc/iiab/iiab.env
+              regexp='^STAGE=*'
+              line='STAGE=2'
+              state=present
+
 - name: ...HAS COMPLETED =========================================
   command: echo
diff --git a/roles/4-server-options/tasks/main.yml b/roles/4-server-options/tasks/main.yml
index 7efdffe74..fb22f6d0e 100644
--- a/roles/4-server-options/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/4-server-options/tasks/main.yml
@@ -57,13 +57,11 @@
   when: usb_lib_install
   tags: usb-lib
 
-# this script can be sourced to get IIAB location
-- name: Create iiab.env file
-  template: src=roles/1-prep/templates/iiab.env.j2
-            dest=/etc/iiab/iiab.env
-            owner=root
-            group=root
-            mode=0644
+- name: Record STAGE
+  lineinfile: dest=/etc/iiab/iiab.env
+              regexp='^STAGE=*'
+              line='STAGE=4'
+              state=present
 
 - name: Put a Python interface to iiab.env
   template: src=roles/1-prep/templates/iiab_env.py.j2