diff --git a/roles/openvpn/templates/announcer b/roles/openvpn/templates/announcer
index 7b9a95a1c..26de78019 100755
--- a/roles/openvpn/templates/announcer
+++ b/roles/openvpn/templates/announcer
@@ -4,21 +4,22 @@
 HANDLE=
 UUID=
 source /etc/iiab/iiab.env
-if [ -z "$HANDLE" ]; then
-   HANDLE=`cat /etc/iiab/iiab.ini | gawk \
-	'{ if((toupper($1) == "HANDLE") && ($2 == "=")) { print $3;}}'`
-fi
-if [ -z "$HANDLE" ]; then
-   if [ -f /etc/iiab/openvpn_handle ]; then
-   HANDLE=`cat /etc/iiab/openvpn_handle`
-   fi
+if [ -f /etc/iiab/openvpn_handle ]; then
+    HANDLE=`cat /etc/iiab/openvpn_handle`
 fi
+# DANGEROUS AS OF AUGUST 2018:
+#if [ -z "$HANDLE" ]; then
+#    HANDLE=`cat /etc/iiab/iiab.ini | gawk \
+#        '{ if((toupper($1) == "HANDLE") && ($2 == "=")) { print $3;}}'`
+#fi
 if [ -f /etc/iiab/uuid ]; then
    UUID=`cat /etc/iiab/uuid`
 fi
 # start the daemon which will serve the handle on demand
+# NEXT LINE OBSOLETE?  August 2018
 source /etc/init.d/functions
 SERVER=/usr/bin/ncat
+# NEXT LINE OBSOLETE?  August 2018
 PID_FILE=/var/run/openvpn/announce.pid
 HANDLE=${HANDLE// /_}
 {% if is_debuntu %}