diff --git a/bdisk/bdisk.py b/bdisk/bdisk.py
index 7de3efb..40655bd 100755
--- a/bdisk/bdisk.py
+++ b/bdisk/bdisk.py
@@ -8,12 +8,15 @@ import bSSL
 import ipxe
 import bsync
 import bGPG
+import os
 
 # we need to:
 # we also need to figure out how to implement "mentos" (old bdisk) like functionality, letting us reuse an existing chroot install if possible to save time for future builds.
 #   if not, though, it's no big deal.
 # still on the todo: iPXE
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    if os.getuid() != 0:
+        exit('{0}: ERROR: BDisk *must* be run as the root user or with sudo!'.format(datetime.datetime.now()))
     print('{0}: Starting.'.format(datetime.datetime.now()))
     conf = host.parseConfig(host.getConfig())[1]
     prep.dirChk(conf)
diff --git a/bdisk/host.py b/bdisk/host.py
index ee26361..f282c16 100755
--- a/bdisk/host.py
+++ b/bdisk/host.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def getConfig(conf_file='/etc/bdisk/build.ini'):
     conf = False
     # define some defailt conf paths in case we're installed by
     # a package manager. in order of the paths we should search.
+    currentdir = os.path.abspath('{0}/../extra/dist.build.ini'.format(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))))
     default_conf_paths = ['/etc/bdisk/build.ini',
                         '/usr/share/bdisk/build.ini',
                         '/usr/share/bdisk/extra/build.ini',
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@ def getConfig(conf_file='/etc/bdisk/build.ini'):
                         '/usr/local/share/docs/bdisk/build.ini',
                         '/opt/dev/bdisk/build.ini',
                         '/opt/dev/bdisk/extra/build.ini',
-                        '/opt/dev/bdisk/extra/dist.build.ini']
+                        '/opt/dev/bdisk/extra/dist.build.ini',
+                        currentdir]
         # if we weren't given one/using the default...
     if conf_file == '/etc/bdisk/build.ini':
         if not os.path.isfile(conf_file):