diff --git a/vere/main.c b/vere/main.c
index 470b1fb09f..3b793462dc 100644
--- a/vere/main.c
+++ b/vere/main.c
@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
     return c3n;
   }
 
-  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.gen_c != 0 && ( !imp_t || u3_Host.ops_u.nuu == c3n ) ) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "-G only makes sense when creating a new galaxy\n");
+  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.gen_c != 0 && u3_Host.ops_u.nuu == c3n ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "-G only makes sense when bootstrapping a new instance\n");
     return c3n;
   }
 
diff --git a/vere/sist.c b/vere/sist.c
index 52a4781798..d9ec09b46a 100644
--- a/vere/sist.c
+++ b/vere/sist.c
@@ -1386,13 +1386,19 @@ u3_sist_boot(void)
       u3z(whu);
     }
     else {
-      if ( 0 == u3_Host.ops_u.key_c ) {
+      u3_noun des = u3_none;
+
+      if ( 0 != u3_Host.ops_u.key_c ) {
+        des = u3m_file(u3_Host.ops_u.key_c);
+      }
+      else if ( 0 != u3_Host.ops_u.gen_c ) {
+        des = u3i_string(u3_Host.ops_u.gen_c);
+      }
+      else {
         // XX print nice error
         u3_lo_bail();
       }
 
-      u3_noun des = u3m_file(u3_Host.ops_u.key_c);
-
       u3A->fak = c3n;
       pig = _sist_dawn(u3k(des));
       who = u3k(u3h(u3h(u3t(pig))));