diff --git a/documize/api/request/config.go b/documize/api/request/config.go
index 9cc99aad..0d8e730f 100644
--- a/documize/api/request/config.go
+++ b/documize/api/request/config.go
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 package request
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/documize/community/wordsmith/environment"
-	"github.com/documize/community/wordsmith/log"
 	"github.com/documize/community/wordsmith/utility"
 )
 
@@ -29,12 +27,11 @@ func ConfigString(area, path string) (ret string) {
 	sql := `SELECT JSON_EXTRACT(details,'$` + path + `') AS item FROM config WHERE area = '` + area + `';`
 
 	stmt, err := Db.Preparex(sql)
-	defer utility.Close(stmt)
-
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to prepare select for ConfigString: %s", sql), err)
+		//log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to prepare select for ConfigString: %s", sql), err)
 		return ""
 	}
+	defer utility.Close(stmt)
 
 	var item = make([]uint8, 0)
 
diff --git a/documize/api/request/init.go b/documize/api/request/init.go
index b62eef3c..3394645d 100644
--- a/documize/api/request/init.go
+++ b/documize/api/request/init.go
@@ -66,28 +66,27 @@ func init() {
 			// go into setup mode if required
 			if database.Check(Db, connectionString) {
 				log.Info("database.Check(Db) OK")
+				migrations, err := database.Migrations(ConfigString("DATABASE", "last_migration"))
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error("Unable to find required database migrations: ", err)
+					os.Exit(2)
+				}
+				if len(migrations) > 0 {
+					if strings.ToLower(upgrade) != "true" {
+						log.Error("database migrations are required",
+							errors.New("the -upgrade flag is not 'true'"))
+						os.Exit(2)
+
+					}
+					if err := migrations.Migrate(); err != nil {
+						log.Error("Unable to run database migration: ", err)
+						os.Exit(2)
+					}
+				}
 			} else {
 				log.Info("database.Check(Db) !OK, going into setup mode")
 			}
 
-			migrations, err := database.Migrations(ConfigString("DATABASE", "last_migration"))
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Error("Unable to find required database migrations: ", err)
-				os.Exit(2)
-			}
-			if len(migrations) > 0 {
-				if strings.ToLower(upgrade) != "true" {
-					log.Error("database migrations are required",
-						errors.New("the -upgrade flag is not 'true'"))
-					os.Exit(2)
-
-				}
-				if err := migrations.Migrate(); err != nil {
-					log.Error("Unable to run database migration: ", err)
-					os.Exit(2)
-				}
-			}
-
 			return false // value not changed
 		})
 }
diff --git a/documize/database/scripts/create.sql b/documize/database/scripts/create.sql
index 4a03ac03..6b3bb280 100644
--- a/documize/database/scripts/create.sql
+++ b/documize/database/scripts/create.sql
@@ -262,3 +262,17 @@ ALTER TABLE label CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;
 ALTER TABLE document CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;
 ALTER TABLE page CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;
 */
+
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `config`;
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS  `config` (
+	`area` CHAR(16) NOT NULL,
+	`details` JSON,
+	UNIQUE INDEX `idx_config_area` (`area` ASC) ) ;
+
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('DOCUMIZE','{\"plugin\": \"PLUGIN\"}');
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('PLUGIN',
+'[{\"Comment\": \"Disable (or not) built-in html import (NOTE: no Plugin name)\",\"Disabled\": false,\"API\": \"Convert\",\"Actions\": [\"htm\",\"html\"]},{\"Comment\": \"Disable (or not) built-in Documize API import used from SDK (NOTE: no Plugin name)\",\"Disabled\": false,\"API\": \"Convert\",\"Actions\": [\"documizeapi\"]}]');
+
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('DATABASE','{\"last_migration\": \"migrate-00002.sql\"}');
+/* NOTE the line above must be changed every time a new migration is incorporated into this file */
diff --git a/documize/database/scripts/migrate/migrate-00002.sql b/documize/database/scripts/migrate/migrate-00002.sql
index ce30a8a9..25c61f34 100644
--- a/documize/database/scripts/migrate/migrate-00002.sql
+++ b/documize/database/scripts/migrate/migrate-00002.sql
@@ -4,4 +4,9 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS  `config` (
 	`area` CHAR(16) NOT NULL,
 	`details` JSON,
 	UNIQUE INDEX `idx_config_area` (`area` ASC) ) ;
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('DOCUMIZE','{\"plugin\": \"PLUGIN\"}');
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('PLUGIN',
+'[{\"Comment\": \"Disable (or not) built-in html import (NOTE: no Plugin name)\",\"Disabled\": false,\"API\": \"Convert\",\"Actions\": [\"htm\",\"html\"]},{\"Comment\": \"Disable (or not) built-in Documize API import used from SDK (NOTE: no Plugin name)\",\"Disabled\": false,\"API\": \"Convert\",\"Actions\": [\"documizeapi\"]}]');
+
+INSERT INTO `config` VALUES ('DATABASE','{\"last_migration\": \"migrate-00002.sql\"}');
diff --git a/wordsmith/environment/environment.go b/wordsmith/environment/environment.go
index d57805cc..64caf177 100644
--- a/wordsmith/environment/environment.go
+++ b/wordsmith/environment/environment.go
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ func GetString(target *string, name string, required bool, usage string, callbac
 	vars.vv = append(vars.vv, varT{target: target, name: name, required: required, callback: callback, value: value, setter: setter})
 }
 
+var showSettings = flag.Bool("showsettings", false, "if true, show settings in the log (WARNING: these settings may include passwords)")
+
 // Parse calls flag.Parse() then checks that the required environment variables are all set.
 // It should be the first thing called by any main() that uses this library.
 // If all the required variables are not present, it prints an error and calls os.Exit(2) like flag.Parse().
@@ -94,9 +96,11 @@ func Parse(doFirst string) {
 					}
 					typ = "Required"
 				}
-				if *(v.target) != "" && vars.vv[vi].setter != goInit {
-					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s setting from '%s' is: '%s'\n",
-						typ, vars.vv[vi].setter, *(v.target))
+				if *showSettings {
+					if *(v.target) != "" && vars.vv[vi].setter != goInit {
+						fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s setting from '%s' is: '%s'\n",
+							typ, vars.vv[vi].setter, *(v.target))
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/wordsmith/utility/defclose.go b/wordsmith/utility/defclose.go
index cb0fef10..6aafbf47 100644
--- a/wordsmith/utility/defclose.go
+++ b/wordsmith/utility/defclose.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import "github.com/documize/community/wordsmith/log"
 
 // Close is a convenience function to close an io.Closer, usually in a defer.
 func Close(f io.Closer) {
-	if f != nil {
+	if f != nil && f != io.Closer(nil) {
 		log.IfErr(f.Close())
 	}
 }