diff --git a/home.admin/_background.sh b/home.admin/_background.sh
index 794ddbef6..03d31bc6e 100644
--- a/home.admin/_background.sh
+++ b/home.admin/_background.sh
@@ -78,8 +78,12 @@ do
       echo "freshPublicIP(${freshPublicIP})"
       echo "publicIP(${publicIP})"
 
+      if [ ${#freshPublicIP} -eq 0 ]; then 
+
+        echo "freshPublicIP is ZERO - ignoring"
+
       # check if changed
-      if [ "${freshPublicIP}" != "${publicIP}" ]; then
+      elif [ "${freshPublicIP}" != "${publicIP}" ]; then
 
         # 1) update config file
         echo "update config value"
diff --git a/home.admin/_bootstrap.sh b/home.admin/_bootstrap.sh
index c9029ad1f..ac4cab235 100644
--- a/home.admin/_bootstrap.sh
+++ b/home.admin/_bootstrap.sh
@@ -279,19 +279,23 @@ if [ ${configExists} -eq 1 ]; then
 
   # update public IP on boot
   freshPublicIP=$(curl -s http://v4.ipv6-test.com/api/myip.php)
-  publicIPValueExists=$( sudo cat ${configFile} | grep -c 'publicIP=' )
-  if [ ${publicIPValueExists} -gt 1 ]; then
-    # remove one 
-    echo "more then one publiIp entry - removing one" >> $logFile
-    sed -i "s/^publicIP=.*//g" ${configFile}
-    publicIPValueExists=$( sudo cat ${configFile} | grep -c 'publicIP=' )
-  fi
-  if [ ${publicIPValueExists} -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "create value (${freshPublicIP})" >> $logFile
-    echo "publicIP=${freshPublicIP}" >> $configFile
+  if [ ${#freshPublicIP} -eq 0 ]; then
+   echo "WARNING: Was not able to determine external IP on startup." >> $logFile
   else
-    echo "update value (${freshPublicIP})" >> $logFile
-    sed -i "s/^publicIP=.*/publicIP=${freshPublicIP}/g" ${configFile}
+    publicIPValueExists=$( sudo cat ${configFile} | grep -c 'publicIP=' )
+    if [ ${publicIPValueExists} -gt 1 ]; then
+      # remove one 
+      echo "more then one publiIp entry - removing one" >> $logFile
+      sed -i "s/^publicIP=.*//g" ${configFile}
+      publicIPValueExists=$( sudo cat ${configFile} | grep -c 'publicIP=' )
+    fi
+    if [ ${publicIPValueExists} -eq 0 ]; then
+      echo "create value (${freshPublicIP})" >> $logFile
+      echo "publicIP=${freshPublicIP}" >> $configFile
+    else
+      echo "update value (${freshPublicIP})" >> $logFile
+      sed -i "s/^publicIP=.*/publicIP=${freshPublicIP}/g" ${configFile}
+    fi
   fi
 
 fi