diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index 0672b38..d71b5ed 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // generate the XML for 'virsh create'
-func StartDropletXml(d *pb.Droplet, domcfg *libvirtxml.Domain, hostname string) {
+func StartDropletXml(cluster *pb.Cluster, d *pb.Droplet, domcfg *libvirtxml.Domain, hostname string) {
 	/*
 		if d == nil {
 			log.Info("droplet is nil")
@@ -70,8 +70,14 @@ func StartDropletXml(d *pb.Droplet, domcfg *libvirtxml.Domain, hostname string)
 	// add a check here to make these unique
 	// setRandomMacs(domcfg)
 
+	if len(cluster.Dirs) == 0 {
+		log.Info("ERROR: cluster dirs was empty. adding default location.")
+		log.Info("add paths to search for in ~/.config/virtigo/cluster.text")
+		cluster.Dirs = append(cluster.Dirs, "/var/libvirt/images")
+	}
+	log.Info("Should look in cluster dirs:", cluster.Dirs)
 	for _, disk := range d.Disks {
-		fullname := findDisk([]string{"/home/nfs2", "/var/lib/libvirt/images"}, disk.Filename)
+		fullname := findDisk(cluster.Dirs, disk.Filename)
 		if fullname == "" {
 			log.Info("can not find disk", d.Hostname, "dir", disk.Filepath, "filename", disk.Filename)
 			os.Exit(-1)
diff --git a/validate.go b/validate.go
index bfac46a..f64df1b 100644
--- a/validate.go
+++ b/validate.go
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ func CheckDiskFilenames(cluster *pb.Cluster) []*pb.Event {
 	return alle
 }
 
+// this doesn't run often
 func CheckDroplets(cluster *pb.Cluster, dump bool) bool {
 	// uuid map to check for duplicates
 	var umap map[string]string