diff --git a/iop/scripts/setup_host.sh b/iop/scripts/setup_host.sh
index d3ef2475d..8e23a0080 100755
--- a/iop/scripts/setup_host.sh
+++ b/iop/scripts/setup_host.sh
@@ -1,138 +1,164 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-function setup_host {
+function install_pkgs()
+{
+    local packages_misc="
+bison
+build-essential
+execstack
+flex
+g++
+g++-multilib
+gawk
+gettext
+git automake
+gtk-doc-tools
+liblzo2-dev
+libncurses5-dev
+ncurses-term
+svn-buildpackage
+uuid-dev
+zlib1g-dev
+"
+    local packages_perl="libconvert-binary-c-perl libdigest-crc-perl"
+    local packages_npm="npm nodejs yui-compressor"
 
-    if [ "$(whoami)" != "root" ]; then
-	echo "Please run this script as root!"
-	exit 1
+    # do we need 32 bit compatibility libs ?
+    if [ "$(uname -m | awk '{print$1}')" == "x86_64" ]; then
+	local packages_x64="libc6-dev-i386 lib32z1"
     fi
+    
+    # filter out already installed packages
+    local packages_all="$packages_misc $packages_perl $packages_x64 $packages_npm"
+    local needed=""
+    
+    for pkg in $packages_all
+    do
+	if ! dpkg -s $pkg >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+	then
+	    needed="$needed $pkg"
+	fi
+    done
 
-    packages_all="bison flex g++ g++-multilib zlib1g-dev gettext gawk svn-buildpackage libncurses5-dev ncurses-term git automake gtk-doc-tools liblzo2-dev uuid-dev execstack"
-    packages_perl="libconvert-binary-c-perl libdigest-crc-perl"
-    packages_x64="libc6-dev-i386 lib32z1"
-    packages_npm="npm nodejs yui-compressor"
+    # install needed packages
+    if [ -n "$needed" ]
+    then
+	echo "Need to install dpkg packages [$needed]"
+	read -p "Do you approve installation of these packages (y/n): " ans
+	if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
+	    sudo apt-get install $needed
+	else
+	    echo "can't continue. aborting!"
+	    exit 1
+	fi
+    fi
+}
 
-    curdir=$(pwd)
 
-    #===============#
-    # Prerequisites #
-    #===============#
-
-    mysh=$(ls -hl /bin/sh | awk -F'[ ,/]' '{print$NF}')
+check_bash()
+{
+    local mysh=$(ls -hl /bin/sh | awk -F'[ ,/]' '{print$NF}')
     if [ "$mysh" != "bash" ]; then
 	echo "On Debian based systems, e.g. Ubuntu, /bin/sh must point to bash instead of $mysh"
 	read -p "Do you approve this change (y/n): " ans
 	if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
-	    rm -f /bin/sh
-	    ln -s bash /bin/sh
+	    sudo rm -f /bin/sh
+	    sudo ln -s bash /bin/sh
 	else
 	    echo "Warning! You haven't pointed /bin/sh to bash."
-	    cd $curdir
 	    exit 1
 	fi
     fi
+    
+}
 
-    echo "The packages below must be installed"
-    echo $packages_all $packages_perl
-    read -p "Do you approve insallation of these packages (y/n): " ans
-    if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
-	apt-get install $packages_all
-	apt-get install $packages_perl
-    else
-	cd $curdir
-	exit 1
-    fi
+install_npm(){
 
-    if [ "$(uname -m | awk '{print$1}')" == "x86_64" ]; then
-	echo "You are running a Linux Distribution based on 64-bit kernel"
-	echo "The packages below must be installed"
-	echo $packages_x64
-	read -p "Do you approve insallation of these packages (y/n): " ans
-	if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
-	    apt-get install $packages_x64
-	else
-	    cd $curdir
-	    exit 1
+    local npm_package="
+bower
+grunt-cli
+less
+mocha
+npm
+uglify-js
+"
+    local needed=""
+
+    # Filter out already installed packages 
+    for pkg in $npm_package
+    do
+	if ! npm list -g $pkg >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+	then
+	    needed="$needed $pkg"
 	fi
+    done
+
+    # install needed packages
+    if [ -n "$needed" ]
+    then
+	echo "Need to install npm package $needed"
+	for pkg in $needed
+	do
+	    sudo npm install -g $pkg
+	done
     fi
+}
 
-    echo "The packages below must be installed in order to be able to compile JUCI"
-    echo $packages_npm
-    read -p "Do you approve insallation of these packages (y/n): " ans
-    if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
-	apt-get install npm nodejs yui-compressor
-	npm install -g npm
-	npm install -g grunt-cli
-	npm install -g mocha
-	npm install -g bower
-	npm install -g uglify-js
-	npm install -g less
+check_brcm_tools(){
 
-	if [ "$(which node)" == "" ]; then
-	    NODEJS=$(which nodejs)
-	    if [ "$NODEJS" != "" ]; then
-		read -p "Found nodejs executable at $(which nodejs), but no path to 'node'. Do you want to create a symlink? (y/n): " ans
-		if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
-		    ln -s "$NODEJS" "/usr/bin/node"
-		fi
-	    fi
-	fi
-
-	user=$(who | head -1 | awk '{print$1}')
-	[ -n $user ] && chown -R $user:$user /home/$user/.npm/
-    else
-	cd $curdir
-	exit 1
-    fi
-
-    # Get the Broadcom toolchain from here and unpack the mips/arm package to /opt:
-    echo -n "Checking for Broadcom MIPS toolchain: "
-    if [ -d /opt/toolchains/crosstools-mips-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21 ]; then
-	install_mips=0
-	echo "YES"
-    else
+    local install_mips=0
+    local install_arm=0
+    
+    if [ ! -d /opt/toolchains/crosstools-mips-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21 ]; then
 	install_mips=1
-	echo "NO"
+	echo "Need to install broadcom MIPS toolchain"
     fi
-
-    echo -n "Checking for Broadcom ARM toolchain: "
-    if [ -d /opt/toolchains/crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL ]; then
-	install_arm=0
-	echo "YES"
-    else
+    
+    if [ ! -d /opt/toolchains/crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL ]; then
 	install_arm=1
-	echo "NO"
+	echo "Need to install broadcom ARM toolchain"
     fi
 
     if [ $install_mips -eq 1 -o $install_arm -eq 1 ]; then
-	read -p "Do you approve insallation of missing toolchains (y/n): " ans
+	read -p "Do you approve installation of missing toolchains (y/n): " ans
 	if [ "$ans" == "y" ]; then
 	    echo "Downloading toolchain"
 	else
-	    cd $curdir
+	    echo "can't continue. aborting"
 	    exit 1
 	fi
 
-	cd ~
-	wget http://iopsys.inteno.se/iopsys/toolchain/crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
-	tar jxf crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
-	cd /
+	# create install dir
+	sudo mkdir -p /opt/toolchains/
+	sudo chown $USER:$USER /opt/toolchains/
 
-	if [ $install_mips -eq 1 ]; then
-	    echo "Installing MIPS toolchain"
-	    tar jxf ~/crosstools-mips-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
-	fi
+	(
+	    mkdir tmp
+	    cd tmp
 
-	if [ $install_arm -eq 1 ]; then
-	    echo "Installing ARM toolchain"
-	    tar jxf ~/crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
-	fi
+	    wget http://iopsys.inteno.se/iopsys/toolchain/crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
+	    tar jxf crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
 
-	rm -f ~/crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-sources.tar.bz2
-	rm -f ~/crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
-	rm -f ~/crosstools-mip*-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
-	rm -f ~/crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
+	    if [ $install_mips -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo "Installing MIPS toolchain"
+
+		tar jxf crosstools-mips-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
+	    fi
+
+	    if [ $install_arm -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo "Installing ARM toolchain"
+		tar jxf crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
+	    fi
+
+	    rm -f crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-sources.tar.bz2
+	    rm -f crosstools-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2-full.tar.bz2
+	    rm -f crosstools-mip*-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
+	    rm -f crosstools-arm-gcc-4.6-linux-3.4-uclibc-0.9.32-binutils-2.21-NPTL.Rel1.2.tar.bz2
+	)
     fi
+}
+
+check_gcc_version(){
 
     gcc_ver=$(ls -l /usr/bin/gcc-[0-9]* | head -1 | awk '{print$NF}' | cut -d'-' -f2)
     if [ "$gcc_ver" != "4.8" ]; then
@@ -163,6 +189,19 @@ function setup_host {
 	    exit 1
 	fi
     fi
+}
+
+function setup_host {
+
+    #===============#
+    # Prerequisites #
+    #===============#
+
+    install_pkgs
+    check_bash
+    install_npm
+    check_brcm_tools
+    check_gcc_version
 
     echo ""
     echo ""
@@ -170,8 +209,6 @@ function setup_host {
     echo ""
     echo ""
 
-    cd $curdir
-
 }
 
 register_command "setup_host" "Install needed packets to host machine"