diff --git a/install-webos-desktop.sh b/install-webos-desktop.sh
index 7be06bf..579fe5a 100755
--- a/install-webos-desktop.sh
+++ b/install-webos-desktop.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@ export SCRIPT_DIR=$PWD
 
 source ./webos-desktop-common.sh
 
+if [ -z "$BASE" ]; then
+    echo "You have a problem with your local.sh script which is"
+    echo "preventing install-luna-sysmgr.sh from locating your"
+    echo "binaries.  Please correct the problem and try again."
+    exit
+fi
+
+if [ $EUID -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "This script must be run as root."
+    exit
+fi
+
 if [ "$1" = "--help" ] ; then
     echo "Usage: sudo ./install-luna-sysmgr.sh [OPTION]"
     echo "Installs the luna-sysmgr component and its dependencies."
diff --git a/local.sh.default b/local.sh.default
index 53d6b5e..7805769 100644
--- a/local.sh.default
+++ b/local.sh.default
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
 ##  This has been the default target location for build-desktop since its initial creation
 ##
 
-export BASE="${HOME}/luna-desktop-binaries"
+if [ -z "${SUDO_USER}" ]; then
+  export BASE="${HOME}/luna-desktop-binaries"
+else
+  export BASE="$(getent passwd ${SUDO_USER} | grep -o [^:]*:[^:]*$ | grep -o ^[^:]*)/luna-desktop-binaries"
+fi
 
 
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