diff --git a/DOCKER/build.sh b/DOCKER/build.sh
index facae550e803c7001fd84e80ba47f8ab5c260742..df919389c150234d0b901527c388e808bb952a3b 100755
--- a/DOCKER/build.sh
+++ b/DOCKER/build.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ if [ "$DEV" != "true" ]; then
 	git pull origin
 fi
 
-if [ "$ERISDB_BUILD_BRANCH" == "master" ]; then
+if [ "$ERISDB_BUILD_BRANCH" = "master" ]; then
   docker build -t eris/erisdb:$release -f DOCKER/Dockerfile .
   docker tag eris/erisdb:$release eris/erisdb:latest
 else
diff --git a/DOCKER/chain_install.sh b/DOCKER/chain_install.sh
index d3048ccb97ec865f1feadcb24d4eec206c04b92e..1969574139cde0a55a3fdc020b5e0644d0ba2e4e 100755
--- a/DOCKER/chain_install.sh
+++ b/DOCKER/chain_install.sh
@@ -3,47 +3,60 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # get genesis, seed, copy config
 
-# etcb chain (given by $NODE_ADDR)
-REFS_CHAIN_ID=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR genesis chain_id)
-ifExit "Error fetching default chain id from $NODE_ADDR"
-REFS_CHAIN_ID=$(echo "$REFS_CHAIN_ID" | tr -d '"') # remove surrounding quotes
-
-echo "etcb chain: $REFS_CHAIN_ID"
-
-# get the genesis.json for a refs chain from the /genesis rpc endpoint
-# for a different chain, use etcb (ie namereg on the ref chain)
-if [ "$CHAIN_ID" = "$REFS_CHAIN_ID" ] ; then
-	# grab genesis.json and config
-	mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR genesis > "${CHAIN_DIR}/genesis.json"
-	ifExit "Error fetching genesis.json from $NODE_ADDR"
-	cp $ECM_PATH/config.toml "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml"
-	ifExit "Error copying config file from $ECM_PATH to $CHAIN_DIR"
-else 
-	# fetch genesis from etcb
-	GENESIS=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR names "${CHAIN_ID}_genesis.json" data)
-	ifExit "Error fetching genesis.json for $CHAIN_ID: $GENESIS"
+# get genesis if not already
+if [ if -e "${CHAIN_DIR}/genesis.json" ]; then
+	# etcb chain (given by $NODE_ADDR)
+	REFS_CHAIN_ID=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR genesis chain_id)
+	ifExit "Error fetching default chain id from $NODE_ADDR"
+	REFS_CHAIN_ID=$(echo "$REFS_CHAIN_ID" | tr -d '"') # remove surrounding quotes
+
+	echo "etcb chain: $REFS_CHAIN_ID"
+
+	# get the genesis.json for a refs chain from the /genesis rpc endpoint
+	# for a different chain, use etcb (ie namereg on the ref chain)
+	if [ "$CHAIN_ID" = "$REFS_CHAIN_ID" ] ; then
+		# grab genesis.json and config
+		mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR genesis > "${CHAIN_DIR}/genesis.json"
+		ifExit "Error fetching genesis.json from $NODE_ADDR"
+	else 
+		# fetch genesis from etcb
+		GENESIS=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR names "${CHAIN_ID}_genesis.json" data)
+		ifExit "Error fetching genesis.json for $CHAIN_ID: $GENESIS"
+
+		echo $GENESIS > "${CHAIN_DIR}/genesis.json"
+
+		SEED_NODE=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR names "${CHAIN_ID}_seed" data)
+		ifExit "Error grabbing seed node from $NODE_ADDR for $CHAIN_ID"
+	fi
+fi
 
-	echo $GENESIS > "${CHAIN_DIR}/genesis.json"
+# copy in config if not already
+if [ ! -e "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml" ]; then
 	cp $ECM_PATH/config.toml "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml"
 	ifExit "Error copying config file from $ECM_PATH to $CHAIN_DIR"
 
-	SEED_NODE=$(mintinfo --node-addr $NODE_ADDR names "${CHAIN_ID}_seed" data)
-	ifExit "Error grabbing seed node from $NODE_ADDR for $CHAIN_ID"
+	if [ "$SEED_NODE" = "" ]; then
+		SEED_NODE=$NODE_ADDR
+	fi
+
+	if [ "$HOST_NAME" = "" ]; then
+		HOST_NAME=mint_user
+	fi
+fi
+
 
+# set seed node and host name
+if [ "$SEED_NODE" != "" ]; then
 	sed -i "s/^\(seeds\s*=\s*\).*\$/\1\"$SEED_NODE\"/" "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml"
 	ifExit "Error setting seed node in config.toml"
 	echo "Seed node: ${SEED_NODE}"
 fi
 
-if [ "$HOST_NAME" = "" ]; then
-	HOST_NAME=mint_user
+if [ "$HOST_NAME" != "" ]; then
+	sed -i "s/^\(moniker\s*=\s*\).*\$/\1\"$HOST_NAME\"/" "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml"
+	ifExit "Error setting host name in config.toml"
 fi
 
-echo "Host name: ${HOST_NAME}"
-
-sed -i "s/^\(moniker\s*=\s*\).*\$/\1\"$HOST_NAME\"/" "${CHAIN_DIR}/config.toml"
-ifExit "Error setting host name in config.toml"
-
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # would be nice if we could stop syncing once we're caught up ...