diff --git a/quickstart/docker/README.md b/quickstart/docker/README.md
index 77516fb3e..b6ebbf772 100644
--- a/quickstart/docker/README.md
+++ b/quickstart/docker/README.md
@@ -15,17 +15,20 @@ First, decide what you are trying to do. Are you trying to:
 1. copy the `ziti` CLI to `./ziti-bin`: `cp /path/to/ziti ./ziti-bin`
 1. run the script `./createLocalImage.sh` which will create a `openziti/quickstart:latest` tag
    using the `ziti` CLI located in `./ziti-bin`
+   1. Optionally, you may provide an argument for the image tag. `./createLocalImage.sh <tagname>`
 
 ## Build Docker Image for Docker-related Changes
 1. change to this directory from checkout root: `cd quickstart/docker`
 1. run the script `./createLocalImage.sh` which will create a `openziti/quickstart:latest` tag
    using the latest `ziti` [release from GitHub](https://github.com/openziti/ziti/releases/latest)
+   1. Optionally, you may provide an argument for the image tag. `./createLocalImage.sh <tagname>`
 
 ## Build Docker Image with Specific ziti Version
 1. change to this directory from checkout root: `cd quickstart/docker`
 1. set `ZITI_VERSION_OVERRIDE` to desired version: `export ZITI_VERSION_OVERRIDE=v0.28.4`
 1. run the script `./createLocalImage.sh` which will create a `openziti/quickstart:latest` tag
    using the specified version of `ziti` [from GitHub](https://github.com/openziti/ziti/releases/tag/v0.28.4)
+   1. Optionally, you may provide an argument for the image tag. `./createLocalImage.sh <tagname>`
 
 ## ERROR: existing instance for "ziti-builder"
 When running the `./createLocalImage.sh` script, you might get this error:
diff --git a/quickstart/docker/createLocalImage.sh b/quickstart/docker/createLocalImage.sh
index e1170e45d..42fa9489b 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/createLocalImage.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/createLocalImage.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ else
   echo ""
 fi
 
-$SCRIPT_DIR/pushLatestDocker.sh local
\ No newline at end of file
+$SCRIPT_DIR/pushLatestDocker.sh local "${1}"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/quickstart/docker/image/run-router.sh b/quickstart/docker/image/run-router.sh
index 2e72ab363..f38bfc664 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/image/run-router.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/image/run-router.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ if [[ "${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME-}" != "" ]]; then
   echo "_ZITI_ROUTER_NAME set to: ${_ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}"
 fi
 
+# Wait until the file exists, then give one more second for the file to be completely written
+until [ -f "${ZITI_HOME}/ziti.env" ]
+do
+     sleep 1
+done
+sleep 1
 . ${ZITI_HOME}/ziti.env
 
 # wait for the controller to come online
@@ -48,7 +54,7 @@ if [ ! -f "${_UNIQUE_NAME}" ]; then
     createPrivateRouterConfig "${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}"
   fi
 
-  found=$(ziti edge list edge-routers 'name = "'"${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}"'"' | grep -c "${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}")
+  found=$("${ZITI_BIN_DIR-}/ziti" edge list edge-routers 'name = "'"${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}"'"' | grep -c "${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}")
   if [[ found -gt 0 ]]; then
     echo "----------  Found existing edge-router ${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME}...."
   else
diff --git a/quickstart/docker/pushLatestDocker.sh b/quickstart/docker/pushLatestDocker.sh
index 5110ede0e..d93d1780b 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/pushLatestDocker.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/pushLatestDocker.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ if [ -z "${ZITI_VERSION}" ]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+IMAGE_TAG="${2-}"
+if [ -z "${IMAGE_TAG}" ]; then
+  IMAGE_TAG="latest"
+  echo "image tag name was not provided, using default '${IMAGE_TAG}'"
+fi
+
 docker buildx create --use --name=ziti-builder
 
 if [ "local" == "${1}" ]; then
@@ -28,5 +34,5 @@ fi
 docker buildx build ${_BUILDX_PLATFORM} "${SCRIPT_DIR}/image" \
   --build-arg ZITI_VERSION_OVERRIDE="v${ZITI_VERSION}" \
   --tag "openziti/quickstart:${ZITI_VERSION}" \
-  --tag "openziti/quickstart:latest" \
+  --tag "openziti/quickstart:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
   ${_BUILDX_ACTION}
\ No newline at end of file