diff --git a/images/createImage b/images/createImage
index e7e476f71..ec76b96a4 100755
--- a/images/createImage
+++ b/images/createImage
@@ -89,16 +89,14 @@ if [[ -z "${box_name}" ]]; then
     box_name="box-${deploy_env}-${pretty_revision}-${now}" # remove slashes
 
     # create a new server if no name given
-    caas_ssh_key_id=$($vps get_ssh_key_id "caas")
-    if [[ -z "${caas_ssh_key_id}" ]]; then
+    if ! caas_ssh_key_id=$($vps get_ssh_key_id "caas"); then
         echo "Could not query caas ssh key"
         exit 1
     fi
     echo "Detected caas ssh key id: ${caas_ssh_key_id}"
 
     echo "Creating Server with name [${box_name}]"
-    server_id=$($vps create ${caas_ssh_key_id} ${box_name})
-    if [[ -z "${server_id}" ]]; then
+    if ! server_id=$($vps create ${caas_ssh_key_id} ${box_name}); then
         echo "Failed to create server"
         exit 1
     fi
@@ -112,7 +110,10 @@ if [[ -z "${box_name}" ]]; then
     done
     echo ""
 else
-    server_id=$($vps get_id "${box_name}")
+    if ! server_id=$($vps get_id "${box_name}"); then
+        echo "Could not determine id from name"
+        exit 1
+    fi
     echo "Reusing server with id: ${server_id}"
 
     $vps power_on "${server_id}"
@@ -121,8 +122,7 @@ fi
 # Query until we get an IP
 while true; do
     echo "Trying to get the server IP"
-    server_ip=$($vps get_ip "${server_id}")
-    if [[ "${server_ip}" != "" ]]; then
+    if server_ip=$($vps get_ip "${server_id}"); then
         echo "Server IP : [${server_ip}]"
         break
     fi
@@ -166,18 +166,30 @@ echo "Waiting for 10 seconds for server to shutdown"
 sleep 30
 
 echo "Powering off server"
-$vps power_off "${server_id}"
+if ! $vps power_off "${server_id}"; then
+    echo "Could not power off server"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 snapshot_name="box-${deploy_env}-${pretty_revision}-${now}"
 echo "Snapshotting as ${snapshot_name}"
-$vps snapshot "${server_id}" "${snapshot_name}"
+if ! $vps snapshot "${server_id}" "${snapshot_name}"; then
+    echo "Could not snapshot"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
-image_id=$($vps get_image_id "${snapshot_name}")
+if ! image_id=$($vps get_image_id "${snapshot_name}"); then
+    echo "Could not get image id"
+    exit 1
+fi
 echo "Image id is ${image_id}"
 
 if [[ "${destroy_server}" == "yes" ]]; then
     echo "Destroying server"
-    $vps destroy "${server_id}"
+    if ! $vps destroy "${server_id}"; then
+        echo "Could not destroy server"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 else
     echo "Skipping server destroy"
 fi
diff --git a/images/digitalocean.sh b/images/digitalocean.sh
index 27a19b3b1..9ce1b7938 100755
--- a/images/digitalocean.sh
+++ b/images/digitalocean.sh
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@ function debug() {
 }
 
 function get_ssh_key_id() {
-    $CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/account/keys" \
+    id=$($CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/account/keys" \
         | $JSON ssh_keys \
         | $JSON -c "this.name === \"$1\"" \
-        | $JSON 0.id
+        | $JSON 0.id)
+    [[ -z "$id" ]] && exit 1
+    echo "$id"
 }
 
 function create_droplet() {
@@ -33,17 +35,23 @@ function create_droplet() {
 
     local data="{\"name\":\"${box_name}\",\"size\":\"${box_size}\",\"region\":\"${image_region}\",\"image\":\"${ubuntu_image_slug}\",\"ssh_keys\":[ \"${ssh_key_id}\" ],\"backups\":false}"
 
-    $CURL -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "${data}" "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets" | $JSON droplet.id
+    id=$($CURL -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "${data}" "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets" | $JSON droplet.id)
+    [[ -z "$id" ]] && exit 1
+    echo "$id"
 }
 
 function get_droplet_ip() {
     local droplet_id="$1"
-    $CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/${droplet_id}" | $JSON "droplet.networks.v4[0].ip_address"
+    ip=$($CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/${droplet_id}" | $JSON "droplet.networks.v4[0].ip_address")
+    [[ -z "$ip" ]] && exit 1
+    echo "$ip"
 }
 
 function get_droplet_id() {
     local droplet_name="$1"
-    $CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets?per_page=100" | $JSON "droplets" | $JSON -c "this.name === '${droplet_name}'" | $JSON "[0].id"
+    id=$($CURL "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets?per_page=100" | $JSON "droplets" | $JSON -c "this.name === '${droplet_name}'" | $JSON "[0].id")
+    [[ -z "$id" ]] && exit 1
+    echo "$id"  
 }
 
 function power_off_droplet() {
diff --git a/images/vultr.js b/images/vultr.js
index c15c7727e..46bf953c0 100755
--- a/images/vultr.js
+++ b/images/vultr.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ function getSshKeyId(keyName, callback) {
 function create(keyId, name, callback) {
     var regionId = 5; // LA (https://api.vultr.com/v1/regions/list)
     var planId = 29;  // 768MB RAM (https://api.vultr.com/v1/regions/list)
-    var osid = 191; // Ubuntu 15.04 x64 (see https://api.vultr.com/v1/os/list)
+    var osid = 191; // Ubuntu 15.04 x64 (see https://api.vultr.com/v1/os/list). 15.04 has some systemd issue
 
     var res = request.post('https://api.vultr.com/v1/server/create')
         .query({ api_key : gApiToken })
@@ -51,9 +51,7 @@ function create(keyId, name, callback) {
     return callback(null, res.body.SUBID);
 }
 
-function getIp(id, callback){
-    console.error('getting the ip of ', id);
-
+function getIp(id, callback) {
     var res = request.get('https://api.vultr.com/v1/server/list')
         .query({ api_key : gApiToken, SUBID: id })
         .end();