diff --git csrc/configure csrc/configure
index 962d76a..43ec3ea 100755
--- csrc/configure
+++ csrc/configure
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ TryAppend "`uname -sr | sed -e 's/ /-/g'`"
 TryAppend "local"
 TryScript "`uname`" "$@"
 TryScript "local" "$@"
-ProvideDefault CPREFLAGS = -I../include
+ProvideDefault CPREFLAGS = -I../include ${CFLAGS:-}
 ProvideDefault PCAP_PROGRAMS = ccndumppcap
 ProvideDefault RESOLV_LIBS = -lresolv
 ProvideDefault INSTALL_BASE = ${INSTALL_BASE:-/usr/local}
diff --git csrc/lib/ccn_client.c csrc/lib/ccn_client.c
index 606fd36..a3392fc 100644
--- csrc/lib/ccn_client.c
+++ csrc/lib/ccn_client.c
@@ -2607,23 +2607,58 @@ ccn_chk_signing_params(struct ccn *h,
             temp = ccn_charbuf_create();
             if (default_pubid == NULL || temp == NULL)
                 return(NOTE_ERRNO(h));
-            ccnx_dir = getenv("CCNX_DIR");
-            if (ccnx_dir == NULL || ccnx_dir[0] == 0) {
-                home = getenv("HOME");
-                if (home == NULL)
-                    home = "";
-                ccn_charbuf_putf(temp, "%s/.ccnx/.ccnx_keystore", home);
+
+            res = -1;
+#ifdef CCNX_DIR
+            if (res < 0 || default_pubid->length != sizeof(result->pubid)) {
+              // check preconfigured directory
+              ccnx_dir = CCNX_DIR;
+              if (ccnx_dir != NULL && ccnx_dir[0] != 0) {
+                ccn_charbuf_reset(temp);
+                ccn_charbuf_putf(temp, "%s/.ccnx_keystore", ccnx_dir);
+
+                res = ccn_load_private_key(h,
+                                           ccn_charbuf_as_string(temp),
+                                           "Th1s1sn0t8g00dp8ssw0rd.",
+                                           default_pubid);
+              }
             }
-            else
+#endif
+            
+            if (res < 0 || default_pubid->length != sizeof(result->pubid)) {
+              // check CCNX_DIR
+              ccnx_dir = getenv("CCNX_DIR");
+              if (ccnx_dir != NULL && ccnx_dir[0] != 0) {
+                ccn_charbuf_reset(temp);
                 ccn_charbuf_putf(temp, "%s/.ccnx_keystore", ccnx_dir);
-            res = ccn_load_private_key(h,
-                                       ccn_charbuf_as_string(temp),
-                                       "Th1s1sn0t8g00dp8ssw0rd.",
-                                       default_pubid);
+
+                res = ccn_load_private_key(h,
+                                           ccn_charbuf_as_string(temp),
+                                           "Th1s1sn0t8g00dp8ssw0rd.",
+                                           default_pubid);
+              }
+            }
+            
+            if (res < 0 || default_pubid->length != sizeof(result->pubid)) {
+              // check HOME
+              home = getenv("HOME");
+              if (home != NULL) {
+                ccn_charbuf_reset(temp);
+                ccn_charbuf_putf(temp, "%s/.ccnx/.ccnx_keystore", home);
+                res = ccn_load_private_key(h,
+                                           ccn_charbuf_as_string(temp),
+                                           "Th1s1sn0t8g00dp8ssw0rd.",
+                                           default_pubid);
+              }
+            }
+            
             if (res == 0 && default_pubid->length == sizeof(result->pubid)) {
                 h->default_pubid = default_pubid;
                 default_pubid = NULL;
             }
+            else {
+              ccn_perror(h, ccn_charbuf_as_string(temp));
+            }
         }
         if (h->default_pubid == NULL)
             res = NOTE_ERRNO(h);
diff --git csrc/lib/ccn_initkeystore.sh csrc/lib/ccn_initkeystore.sh
index 12bc9e3..a171a0e 100755
--- csrc/lib/ccn_initkeystore.sh
+++ csrc/lib/ccn_initkeystore.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # Create a ccn keystore without relying on java
 : ${RSA_KEYSIZE:=1024}
 : ${CCN_USER:=`id -n -u`}
+: ${CCNX_HOME:=.ccnx}
 Fail () {
   echo '*** Failed' "$*"
   exit 1
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ countryName_default		= AU
 countryName_min			= 2
 countryName_max			= 2
 EOF
+RANDFILE=.rnd
 openssl req    -config openssl.cnf      \
                -newkey rsa:$RSA_KEYSIZE \
                -x509                    \
diff --git csrc/lib/dir.mk csrc/lib/dir.mk
index 6489299..145eec7 100644
--- csrc/lib/dir.mk
+++ csrc/lib/dir.mk
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ shlib: $(SHLIBNAME)
 lib: libccn.a
 
 test: default keystore_check encodedecodetest ccnbtreetest
-	./encodedecodetest -o /dev/null
+	./encodedecodetest -k $(CCNX_DIR)/.ccnx_keystore -o /dev/null
 	./ccnbtreetest
 	./ccnbtreetest - < q.dat
 	rm -R _bt_*
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ dtag_check: _always
 	@./gen_dtag_table 2>/dev/null | diff - ccn_dtag_table.c | grep '^[<]' >/dev/null && echo '*** Warning: ccn_dtag_table.c may be out of sync with tagnames.cvsdict' || :
 
 keystore_check: ccn_initkeystore.sh
-	test -f "$$HOME/.ccnx/.ccnx_keystore" || $(MAKE) -f dir.mk new_keystore
+	test -f "$(CCNX_DIR)/.ccnx_keystore" || $(MAKE) -f dir.mk new_keystore
 
 new_keystore:
 	@echo === CCNx Keystore not found in your home directory
 	@echo === I will create one for you now '(^C to abort)'
-	sleep 1 && sh ccn_initkeystore.sh && sleep 3 && mv .ccnx "$$HOME"
+	sleep 1 && sh ccn_initkeystore.sh && sleep 3 && mkdir -p "$(CCNX_DIR)/" && mv .ccnx/.ccnx_keystore "$(CCNX_DIR)/"
 
 libccn.a: $(LIB_OBJS)
 	ar crus $@ $(LIB_OBJS)
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ skel_decode_test: skel_decode_test.o
 basicparsetest: basicparsetest.o libccn.a
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ basicparsetest.o $(LDLIBS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -lcrypto
 
-encodedecodetest: encodedecodetest.o
+encodedecodetest: encodedecodetest.o libccn.a
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ encodedecodetest.o $(LDLIBS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -lcrypto
 
 ccn_digest.o:
@@ -149,16 +149,16 @@ ccn_fetch.o:
 ccn_verifysig.o:
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) -c ccn_verifysig.c
 
-ccn_verifysig: ccn_verifysig.o
+ccn_verifysig: ccn_verifysig.o libccn.a
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ ccn_verifysig.o $(LDLIBS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -lcrypto
 
 signbenchtest.o:
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) -c signbenchtest.c
 
-signbenchtest: signbenchtest.o
+signbenchtest: signbenchtest.o libccn.a
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ signbenchtest.o $(LDLIBS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -lcrypto 
 
-ccndumppcap: ccndumppcap.o
+ccndumppcap: ccndumppcap.o libccn.a
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ ccndumppcap.o $(LDLIBS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -lcrypto -lpcap
 
 ccnbtreetest.o: