diff --git a/s/cmake-init b/s/cmake-init
index ea94afb7c..84a1d9cdb 100755
--- a/s/cmake-init
+++ b/s/cmake-init
@@ -35,12 +35,13 @@ if [ -d $HOME/usr ]; then
   PREFIX_PATH=$HOME/usr:$HOME/usr/local:$PREFIX_PATH
 fi
 
+DEST=$(dirname $ROOT)/server
 ARGS=" -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=$ROOT/cmake/Modules \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD \
  -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH=$LIBRARY_PATH \
  -DCMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH=$INCLUDE_PATH \
  -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$PREFIX_PATH \
- -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/eressea/server"
+ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$DEST"
 
 git submodule update --init
 
diff --git a/s/install b/s/install
index 416d07f9a..962961063 100755
--- a/s/install
+++ b/s/install
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ while [ ! -d $ROOT/.git ]; do
   fi
 done
 
-DEST=$(dirname $ROOT)/server
-
 [ -z "$CC" ] && [ ! -z `which clang` ] && CC="clang"
 [ -z "$CC" ] && [ ! -z `which gcc` ] && CC="gcc"
 [ -z "$CC" ] && [ ! -z `which tcc` ] && CC="tcc"
diff --git a/s/setup b/s/setup
index 0839d5b8f..fc5fb9874 100755
--- a/s/setup
+++ b/s/setup
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+ROOT=$(pwd)
+while [ ! -d $ROOT/.git ]; do
+  ROOT=$(dirname $ROOT)
+  if [ "/" = "$ROOT" ]; then
+    echo "could not find root, are you in the git repository?"
+    exit
+  fi
+done
+ERESSEA=$(dirname $ROOT)
+
 function abort() {
 echo $1
 [ -z $2 ] && exit -1
@@ -37,7 +47,6 @@ while getopts :d:g:r:s:hfn o; do
 done
 
 [ $game -gt 0 ] || abort "must use a positive integer for game id"
-[ -d $ERESSEA ] || abort "invalid or missing env variable ERESSEA ($ERESSEA)"
 [ -z $SOURCE ] && SOURCE=$ERESSEA/$src
 [ -d $SOURCE ] || abort "invalid source directory $SOURCE"
 [ -z $rules ] && rules=e$game
@@ -46,7 +55,8 @@ done
 [ -e $TOOLS ] || TOOLS=$SOURCE/bin
 [ -z $INIFILE ] && INIFILE=$TOOLS/inifile
 [ -e $INIFILE ] || INIFILE=$TOOLS/iniparser/inifile
-#[ -e $INIFILE ] || abort "tool is not installed: $INIFILE"
+
+[ -e $SOURCE/conf/$rules/config.xml ] || abort "cannot find conf/$rules/config.xml"
 
 cd $ERESSEA
 if [ -d $dir ] ; then