diff --git a/ansible/main.yaml b/ansible/main.yaml
index 3d7532363a609935198057194e15a3908fcbe860..63b0553cfc26f97c270b7bf08a249e9d7e83681f 100644
--- a/ansible/main.yaml
+++ b/ansible/main.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,4 @@
 ---
 - hosts: all
-  tasks:
-    - name: update etc/hosts
-      lineinfile:
-        dest: /etc/hosts
-        line: "{{ hostvars[item].ansible_host }} {{ hostvars[item].inventory_hostname }} {{ hostvars[item].inventory_hostname_short }}"
-        state: present
-      with_items: "{{ groups.all }}"
-      become: yes
-
+  roles:
+    - common
diff --git a/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yaml b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..601e6347565fb1dd48543dddd27106713d9b11ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+ - name: update etc/hosts
+   lineinfile:
+     dest: /etc/hosts
+     line: "{{ hostvars[item].ansible_host }} {{ hostvars[item].inventory_hostname }} {{ hostvars[item].inventory_hostname_short }}"
+     state: present
+   with_items: "{{ groups.all }}"
+   become: yes
diff --git a/chi-appliance.py b/chi-appliance.py
index 97839548bac3f38ec854e8eee639969b186b8cbd..26183e81e9a3065beb72ec6312aac6af09f49058 100755
--- a/chi-appliance.py
+++ b/chi-appliance.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def do_create(argv):
     template = os.path.abspath(argv.template)
     try:
         ret = shade_client.create_stack(argv.name, template_file=template,
-                                        wait=True, **extra_args)
+                                        wait=argv.wait, **extra_args)
         print(json.dumps(ret, indent=4))
     except shade.exc.OpenStackCloudHTTPError as e:
         print(e)
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def do_create(argv):
 def do_delete(argv):
     """Delete an appliance with <name>."""
     shade_client = get_shade_client(argv.region)
-    ret = shade_client.delete_stack(argv.name)
+    ret = shade_client.delete_stack(argv.name, wait=argv.wait)
     if ret:
         print("Appliance successfully deleted.")
     else:
@@ -144,9 +144,16 @@ def do_configure(argv):
     # local playbook
     mypath = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
     confpath = os.path.join(mypath, 'ansible')
+    # remove potential ./ansible/ from playbook path
+    playpath = os.path.split(argv.playbook)[1]
     playbook = ('---\n'
                 '- hosts: all\n'
+                '  gather_facts: no\n'
                 '  tasks:\n'
+                '    - name: Wait for frontend\n'
+                '      wait_for_connection:\n'
+                '    - name: Gather info about frontend\n'
+                '      setup:\n'
                 '    - name: Ensure dependencies are installed\n'
                 '      package:\n'
                 '        name: "{{ item }}"\n'
@@ -157,7 +164,7 @@ def do_configure(argv):
                 '      become: yes\n'
                 '    - name: Copy ansible configuration to the frontend\n'
                 '      synchronize:\n'
-                '        src: '+confpath+'\n'
+                '        src: ' + confpath + '\n'
                 '        dest: ~/\n'
                 '    - name: Generate ssh-key for appliance\n'
                 '      user:\n'
@@ -165,14 +172,14 @@ def do_configure(argv):
                 '        state: present\n'
                 '        generate_ssh_key: yes\n'
                 '    - name: Execute ansible on frontend\n'
-                '      command: ansible-playbook -i inventory main.yaml\n'
+                '      shell: ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING=False'
+                ' ansible-playbook -i inventory.yaml ' + playpath + '\n'
                 '      args:\n'
                 '        chdir: ~/ansible\n'
                 '      register: config\n'
                 '    - debug: var=config.stdout_lines')
     # generate files
-    # BAD ERROR HANDLING HERE
-    remote_inv_path = "./ansible/inventory.yaml"
+    remote_inv_path = os.path.join(confpath, "inventory.yaml")
     local_temp = NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w+', encoding='utf8', delete=False)
     play_temp = NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w+', encoding='utf8', delete=False)
     with open(remote_inv_path, "w+", encoding='utf8') as remote_inv:
@@ -190,7 +197,7 @@ def do_configure(argv):
                                 universal_newlines=True)
         while True:
             err = proc.poll()
-            if not err:
+            if err is None:
                 print(proc.stdout.readline(), end='', flush=True)
             else:
                 if err == 0:
@@ -216,6 +223,8 @@ def main():
 
     # create a lease
     parser_create = subparsers.add_parser("create", help="Create an appliance")
+    parser_create.add_argument("--wait", action='store_true',
+                               help="Wait for the operation to complete")
     parser_create.add_argument("name", help="Name of the appliance")
     parser_create.add_argument("lease", help="Lease for the appliance")
     parser_create.add_argument("template", help="Appliance template")
@@ -225,6 +234,8 @@ def main():
     parser_create.set_defaults(func=do_create)
 
     parser_delete = subparsers.add_parser("delete", help="Delete an appliance")
+    parser_delete.add_argument("--wait", action='store_true',
+                               help="Wait for the operation to complete")
     parser_delete.add_argument("name", help="Name of the appliance")
     parser_delete.set_defaults(func=do_delete)
 
@@ -238,6 +249,8 @@ def main():
     parser_config = subparsers.add_parser("configure",
                                           help="Configure an appliance")
     parser_config.add_argument("name", help="Name of the appliance")
+    parser_config.add_argument("playbook", default="main.yaml", nargs='?',
+                               help="Playbook for remote configuration")
     parser_config.set_defaults(func=do_configure)
 
     args = parser.parse_args()