diff --git a/ansible/hosts-vagrant b/ansible/hosts-vagrant
index b395fc6..83634be 100644
--- a/ansible/hosts-vagrant
+++ b/ansible/hosts-vagrant
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-ansible_ssh_private_key_file=.vagrant/machines/10.9.9.9/virtualbox/private_key
+[all:vars]
 warcs_dir=/vagrant/warcs
-brozzler_pip_name='-e git+file:///brozzler'
-
+brozzler_pip_name='-e /brozzler'
+user=vagrant
 ### possible values for a prod deployment
 # brozzler_pip_name=brozzler  # get it from pypi
 # brozzler_pip_name=git+https://github.com/internetarchive/brozzler.git#egg=brozzler
diff --git a/ansible/roles/brozzler-worker/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/brozzler-worker/tasks/main.yml
index a06ad82..b00d0c6 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/brozzler-worker/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/brozzler-worker/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
   apt_repository: repo='deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu trusty partner'
                   state=present
   become: true
+- apt: update_cache=yes
+  become: true
 - name: ensure required packages are installed
   become: true
   apt: name={{item}} state=present
diff --git a/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
index d3462a5..f64efea 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@
 ##   command: python3 setup.py install chdir=/tmp/pip-8.1.2
 ##            creates=/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pip-8.1.2-py2.7.egg/pip/__init__.py
 ##   become: true
+- command: id {{user}}
+  register: id_user
+  ignore_errors: true
+  changed_when: false
 - name: ensure service user {{user}} exists
   user: name={{user}} system=yes createhome=no home=/nonexistent
         shell=/usr/sbin/nologin
   become: true
+  when: id_user|failed
diff --git a/ansible/roles/pywb/templates/pywb.yml.j2 b/ansible/roles/pywb/templates/pywb.yml.j2
index 9a3cd6a..b409536 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/pywb/templates/pywb.yml.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/pywb/templates/pywb.yml.j2
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ collections:
   brozzler:
     index_paths: !!python/object:brozzler.pywb.RethinkCDXSource
       db: brozzler
-      servers:
-      {% for node in groups['rethinkdb'] %}
-      - {{node}}
-      {% endfor %}
       table: captures
+      servers:
+{% for node in groups['rethinkdb'] %}
+      - {{node}}
+{% endfor %}
 enable_auto_colls: false
 enable_cdx_api: true
 framed_replay: true
diff --git a/ansible/roles/rethinkdb/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/rethinkdb/tasks/main.yml
index 3136828..774520b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/rethinkdb/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/rethinkdb/tasks/main.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
   apt_repository: repo='deb http://download.rethinkdb.com/apt trusty main'
                   state=present
   become: true
+- apt: update_cache=yes
+  become: true
 - name: ensure rethinkdb package is installed
   apt: name=rethinkdb state=present
   become: true
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9b81a94..c307cf4 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def find_package_data(package):
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='brozzler',
-        version='1.1b7.dev97',
+        version='1.1b7.dev98',
         description='Distributed web crawling with browsers',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/brozzler',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/vagrant/run-tests.sh b/vagrant/run-tests.sh
index 42cd6f9..91969cf 100755
--- a/vagrant/run-tests.sh
+++ b/vagrant/run-tests.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+cd $(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")
+
 echo service status:
 vagrant ssh -- 'status warcprox ;
                 status Xvnc ;
@@ -8,5 +10,5 @@ vagrant ssh -- 'status warcprox ;
                 status vnc-websock'
 echo
 
-vagrant ssh -- 'source brozzler-ve34/bin/activate && pip install pytest'
-vagrant ssh -- 'source brozzler-ve34/bin/activate && py.test -v -s /brozzler/tests'
+vagrant ssh -- 'source /opt/brozzler-ve34/bin/activate && pip install pytest'
+vagrant ssh -- 'source /opt/brozzler-ve34/bin/activate && py.test -v -s /brozzler/tests'