diff --git a/bin/startGemServerGem b/bin/startGemServerGem
index 06403c3..9fc8540 100755
--- a/bin/startGemServerGem
+++ b/bin/startGemServerGem
@@ -30,10 +30,15 @@ set -e # exit on error
 #
 # export GS_DEBUG_VMGC_PRINT_MKSW_MEMORY_USED=75
 
-if [ -s $GEMSTONE/seaside/etc/gemstone.secret ]; then
-    . $GEMSTONE/seaside/etc/gemstone.secret
+secret=${GEMSTONE_ETC_SECRET}
+if [ "${GEMSTONE_ETC_SECRET}x" = "x" ] ; then
+  secret=$GEMSTONE/seaside/etc/gemstone.secret
+fi
+
+if [ -s $secret ]; then
+    . $secret
 else
-    echo 'Missing password file $GEMSTONE/seaside/etc/gemstone.secret'
+    echo 'Missing password file $secret'
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -43,13 +48,22 @@ else
   ExeArg="-e $3"
 fi
 
-logFile="${GEMSTONE_LOGDIR}/${GemServer}_server-${Port}.log"
+logDir=${GEMSTONE_LOGDIR}
+if [ "${logDir}x" = "x" ] ; then
+  logDir=/opt/gemstone/log
+fi
+logFile="${logDir}/${GemServer}_server-${Port}.log"
+
+username=$GEMSTONE_USER_NAME
+if [ "${GEMSTONE_USER_NAME}x" = "x" ] ; then
+  username=DataCurator
+fi
 
 echo "Starting $GemServer on $Port exeConf: -$ExeConf- logFile: -$logFile-"
 
 cat << EOF | nohup $GEMSTONE/bin/topaz -l ${ExeArg} >> $logFile 2>&1 &
 
-set user DataCurator pass $GEMSTONE_CURATOR_PASS gems $GEMSTONE_NAME
+set user $username pass $GEMSTONE_CURATOR_PASS gems $GEMSTONE_NAME
 
 display oops
 iferror stack
diff --git a/bin/stopGemServerGem b/bin/stopGemServerGem
index e27ab20..38b49cc 100755
--- a/bin/stopGemServerGem
+++ b/bin/stopGemServerGem
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@ GemServer="$1"
 Port="$2"
 
 # must match GemServer>>gemPidFileName:
-pidfile="${GEMSTONE_LOGDIR}/${GemServer}_server-${Port}.pid"
+
+logDir=${GEMSTONE_LOGDIR}
+if [ "${logDir}x" = "x" ] ; then
+  logDir=/opt/gemstone/log
+fi
+pidfile="${logDir}/${GemServer}_server-${Port}.pid"
 
 if [ -e $pidfile ]; then
   pid=`cat $pidfile`