diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 7d74ccd2..a6fddf34 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ echo "importing root files"
 cp -rfv $LOCATION/root/* /
 
 # import docker images
-for f in $(find $LOCATION/images -name "*.img");do
+for f in $(find $LOCATION/images -name "*.img" 2>/dev/null);do
   echo "importing docker image: $f"
   docker load -i $f
 done
diff --git a/package.sh b/package.sh
index 8b4b2b1c..fce0c844 100755
--- a/package.sh
+++ b/package.sh
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@
 # basic path info
 LOCATION="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
 PROJECT_ROOT="$(realpath $LOCATION)"
-PACKAGE_NAME="streamline-emr"
-OUTPUT_DIR="$PROJECT_ROOT/build-packages"
+
+# configurable options (override with env vars as needed)
+PACKAGE_NAME=${PACKAGE_NAME-"streamline-emr"}
+OUTPUT_DIR=${OUTPUT_DIR-"$PROJECT_ROOT/build-packages"}
+PACKAGE_IMAGES=${PACKAGE_IMAGES:-1}
+
+echo "packaging $PACKAGE_NAME"
+echo "  output dir: $OUTPUT_DIR"
+echo "  package images: $PACKAGE_IMAGES"
 
 # work from the project root
 pushd $PROJECT_ROOT > /dev/null
@@ -75,22 +82,26 @@ for platform in "linux/amd64" "linux/arm64"; do
   cp ${PROJECT_ROOT}/install.sh ${PACKAGE_ROOT}/
   cp -a ${PROJECT_ROOT}/root ${PACKAGE_ROOT}/
 
-  # add images
-  i=0
-  # read image list from file (e.g. 'images-aarch64')
-  # images are listed as SAVED_TAG=SOURCE_IMAGE
-  for image in $(cat ${PROJECT_ROOT}/images-${pkg_arch});do
-    i=$((i+1))
-    name="image${i}.img"
-    path="${IMAGES_DIR}/${name}"
-    IFS=\= read -r dest source <<< "${image}"
-    echo "pulling image '${source}' (${platform})"
-    docker pull --platform ${platform} ${source}
-    echo "tagging image as '${dest}'"
-    docker tag ${source} ${dest} 
-    echo "saving to '${path}'"
-    docker save -o ${path} $dest
-  done
+  if [ "${PACKAGE_IMAGES}" = "1" ]; then
+    # add images
+    i=0
+    # read image list from file (e.g. 'images-aarch64')
+    # images are listed as SAVED_TAG=SOURCE_IMAGE
+    for image in $(cat ${PROJECT_ROOT}/images-${pkg_arch});do
+      i=$((i+1))
+      name="image${i}.img"
+      path="${IMAGES_DIR}/${name}"
+      IFS=\= read -r dest source <<< "${image}"
+      echo "pulling image '${source}' (${platform})"
+      docker pull --platform ${platform} ${source}
+      echo "tagging image as '${dest}'"
+      docker tag ${source} ${dest} 
+      echo "saving to '${path}'"
+      docker save -o ${path} $dest
+    done
+  else
+    echo "skipping image packaging as requested"
+  fi
 
   # setup output directory and cleanup old files if necessary
   mkdir -p $OUTPUT_DIR