diff --git a/workspace/scripts/06-install-pioreactor.sh b/workspace/scripts/06-install-pioreactor.sh
index d60e2c9..4325073 100644
--- a/workspace/scripts/06-install-pioreactor.sh
+++ b/workspace/scripts/06-install-pioreactor.sh
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ common:
 
 
 EOT
+
 sudo chown pioreactor:pioreactor $PIO_DIR/experiment_profiles/demo_logging_example.yaml
+sudo -u $USERNAME touch $PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini
 
 
 if [ "$LEADER" == "1" ]; then
@@ -102,7 +104,6 @@ fi
 
 
 if [ "$WORKER" == "1" ]; then
-    sudo -u $USERNAME touch $PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini
     sudo apt-get install -y python3-numpy
 
     if [ "$PIO_VERSION" == "develop" ]; then
diff --git a/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader.sh b/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader.sh
index 8709051..a6ed71d 100644
--- a/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader.sh
+++ b/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ USERNAME=pioreactor
 PIO_DIR=/home/$USERNAME/.pioreactor
 SSH_DIR=/home/$USERNAME/.ssh
 DB_LOC=$(crudini --get $PIO_DIR/config.ini storage database)
+HOSTNAME=$(hostname)
 
 # clean up if this needs to run again.
 sudo -u $USERNAME rm -f $SSH_DIR/{authorized_keys,known_hosts,id_rsa,id_rsa.pub}
@@ -18,11 +19,11 @@ sudo -u $USERNAME touch $SSH_DIR/known_hosts
 
 sudo -u $USERNAME ssh-keygen -q -t rsa -N '' -f $SSH_DIR/id_rsa
 sudo -u $USERNAME cat $SSH_DIR/id_rsa.pub > $SSH_DIR/authorized_keys
-sudo -u $USERNAME ssh-keyscan "$(hostname)".local >> $SSH_DIR/known_hosts
+sudo -u $USERNAME ssh-keyscan "$HOSTNAME".local >> $SSH_DIR/known_hosts
 
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_hostname "$(hostname)"
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_address "$(hostname)".local
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini mqtt broker_address "$(hostname)".local
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_hostname "$HOSTNAME"
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_address "$HOSTNAME".local
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini mqtt broker_address "$HOSTNAME".local
 
 sqlite3 $DB_LOC "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO experiments (created_at, experiment, description) VALUES (STRFTIME('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%f000Z', 'NOW'), 'Demo experiment', 'This is a demo experiment. Feel free to click around.  When you are ready, create a new experiment in the dropdown to the left.');"
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ sqlite3 $DB_LOC "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO experiments (created_at, experiment, desc
 sudo -u $USERNAME touch "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" # set with the correct read/write permissions
 printf '# Any settings here are specific to %s, the leader, and override the settings in config.ini\n\n' "$HOSTNAME" >> "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini"
 
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" cluster.topology leader_address 127.0.0.1
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" mqtt broker_address 127.0.0.1
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" cluster.topology leader_address 127.0.0.1
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" mqtt broker_address 127.0.0.1
 
-cp "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" "$PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini"
\ No newline at end of file
+cp -a "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" "$PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader_and_worker.sh b/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader_and_worker.sh
index 6ffd76f..81d3707 100644
--- a/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader_and_worker.sh
+++ b/workspace/scripts/files/bash/firstboot_leader_and_worker.sh
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ sudo -u $USERNAME ssh-keygen -q -t rsa -N '' -f $SSH_DIR/id_rsa
 sudo -u $USERNAME cat $SSH_DIR/id_rsa.pub > $SSH_DIR/authorized_keys
 sudo -u $USERNAME ssh-keyscan "$HOSTNAME".local >> $SSH_DIR/known_hosts
 
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_hostname "$HOSTNAME"
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_address "$HOSTNAME".local
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini mqtt broker_address "$HOSTNAME".local
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_hostname "$HOSTNAME"
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini cluster.topology leader_address "$HOSTNAME".local
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config.ini mqtt broker_address "$HOSTNAME".local
 
 sqlite3 "$DB_LOC" "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO experiments (created_at, experiment, description) VALUES (STRFTIME('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%f000Z', 'NOW'), 'Demo experiment', 'This is a demo experiment. Feel free to click around. When you are ready, create a new experiment in the dropdown to the left.');"
 sqlite3 "$DB_LOC" "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO workers (pioreactor_unit, added_at, is_active) VALUES ('$HOSTNAME', STRFTIME('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%f000Z', 'NOW'), 1);"
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ sqlite3 "$DB_LOC" "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO experiment_worker_assignments (pioreact
 sudo -u $USERNAME touch $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini # set with the correct read/write permissions
 printf '# Any settings here are specific to %s, the leader, and override the settings in config.ini\n\n' "$HOSTNAME" >> $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini
 
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini cluster.topology leader_address 127.0.0.1
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini mqtt broker_address 127.0.0.1
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini pioreactor model pioreactor_20ml
-crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini pioreactor version 1.1
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini cluster.topology leader_address 127.0.0.1
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini mqtt broker_address 127.0.0.1
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini pioreactor model pioreactor_20ml
+sudo -u $USERNAME crudini --ini-options=nospace --set $PIO_DIR/config_"$HOSTNAME".ini pioreactor version 1.1
 
-cp "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" "$PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini"
\ No newline at end of file
+cp -a "$PIO_DIR/config_$HOSTNAME.ini" "$PIO_DIR/unit_config.ini"
\ No newline at end of file