diff --git a/examples/chef/chef.py b/examples/chef/chef.py
index 84895d50b6bcf1..efe1f5c57a1106 100755
--- a/examples/chef/chef.py
+++ b/examples/chef/chef.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def generate_device_manifest(
         ci_manifest["zap_commit"] = check_zap_master()
     if write_manifest_file:
         with open(_CI_MANIFEST_FILE_NAME, "w+", encoding="utf-8") as ci_manifest_file:
-            ci_manifest_file.write(json.dumps(ci_manifest, indent=4)+"\n")
+            ci_manifest_file.write(json.dumps(ci_manifest, indent=2)+"\n")
     return ci_manifest
 
 
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ def flush_print(
         None
     """
     if with_border:
-        border = ('*' * 64) + '\n'
-        to_print = f"{border}{to_print}{border}"
+        border = ('-' * 64) + '\n'
+        to_print = f"{border}{to_print}\n{border}"
     print(to_print, flush=True)
 
 
@@ -270,44 +270,46 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str]) -> None:
     #
 
     if options.validate_zzz:
+        flush_print(f"Validating\n{_CI_MANIFEST_FILE_NAME}\n{_CHEF_ZZZ_ROOT}\n",
+                    with_border=True)
         fix_instructions = """Cached files out of date!
         Please:
-        bootstrap, activate, and install zap
-        run chef with the flag --generate_zzz
-        git add examples/chef/zzz_generated
-        git add examples/chef/cimanifes.json
+          ./scripts/bootstrap.sh
+          source ./scripts/activate.sh
+          cd ./third_party/zap/repo
+          npm install
+          cd ../../..
+          ./examples/chef/chef.py --generate_zzz
+          git add examples/chef/zzz_generated
+          git add examples/chef/cimanifes.json
         Ensure you are running with the latest version of ZAP from master!"""
         ci_manifest = generate_device_manifest()
         with open(_CI_MANIFEST_FILE_NAME, "r", encoding="utf-8") as ci_manifest_file:
             cached_manifest = json.loads(ci_manifest_file.read())
-        for device in ci_manifest:
-            if device != "zap_commit":
-                try:
-                    if cached_manifest[device] != ci_manifest[device]:
-                        flush_print("MISMATCH INPUT - "+fix_instructions)
-                        exit(1)
-                    else:
-                        zzz_dir = os.path.join(_CHEF_ZZZ_ROOT, device)
-                        device_md5_file = os.path.join(zzz_dir, _CI_DEVICE_MANIFEST_NAME)
-                        if not os.path.exists(device_md5_file):
-                            flush_print("MISSING RESULT - "+fix_instructions)
-                            exit(1)
-                        else:
-                            with open(device_md5_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as md5_file:
-                                md5 = md5_file.read()
-                                if ci_manifest[device] != md5:
-                                    flush_print("MISMATCH OUTPUT - "+fix_instrucitons)
-                                    exit(1)
-                except KeyError:
-                    flush_print("MISSING DEVICE CACHE - "+fix_instructions)
-                    exit(1)
-            if device == "zap_commit" and False:
-                # Disabled; should check:
-                #   Current branch when writing manifest
-                #   Master in CI
-                if cached_manifest[device] != ci_manifest[device]:
-                    flush_print("BAD ZAP VERSION - "+fix_instructions)
+        cached_device_manifest = cached_manifest["devices"]
+        for device, device_md5 in ci_manifest["devices"].items():
+            zzz_dir = os.path.join(_CHEF_ZZZ_ROOT, device)
+            device_md5_file = os.path.join(zzz_dir, _CI_DEVICE_MANIFEST_NAME)
+            if device not in cached_device_manifest:
+                flush_print(f"NOT IN MANIFEST - {fix_instructions}")
+            elif cached_device_manifest[device] != device_md5:
+                flush_print(f"MANIFEST MISMATCH - {fix_instructions}")
+                exit(1)
+            elif not os.path.exists(device_md5_file):
+                flush_print(f"OUTPUT MISSING {fix_instructions}")
+                exit(1)
+            else:
+                with open(device_md5_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as md5_file:
+                    output_cached_md5 = md5_file.read()
+                if output_cached_md5 != device_md5:
+                    flush_print(f"MISMATCH OUTPUT - {fix_instrucitons}")
                     exit(1)
+        if False:
+            # Disabled; should check:
+            #   Current branch when writing manifest
+            #   Master in CI
+            flush_print("BAD ZAP VERSION - "+fix_instructions)
+            exit(1) # shoul only warn
         flush_print("Cached ZAP output is up to date!")
         exit(0)
 
diff --git a/examples/chef/cimanifest.json b/examples/chef/cimanifest.json
index 4392775765dc48..bd7a8e787dfa5e 100644
--- a/examples/chef/cimanifest.json
+++ b/examples/chef/cimanifest.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
-    "devices": {
-        "lighting-app": "81a1262e611fab1a71ac4129b91cec0f"
-    },
-    "zap_commit": "TEMP DISABLED"
+  "devices": {
+    "lighting-app": "81a1262e611fab1a71ac4129b91cec0f"
+  },
+  "zap_commit": "TEMP DISABLED"
 }