diff --git a/deploy/default.properties b/deploy/default.properties
index 3697c20c..461f1d9c 100755
--- a/deploy/default.properties
+++ b/deploy/default.properties
@@ -276,3 +276,9 @@ application-conf-file=src/app/config/config.xqy
 #
 verify_retry_max=5
 verify_retry_interval=10
+
+#
+# CPF Pipeline configuration file
+#
+# can be overridden from {env}.properties
+pipeline-config-file=${basedir}/deploy/pipeline-config.xml
diff --git a/deploy/lib/server_config.rb b/deploy/lib/server_config.rb
index 66b284e0..95ad6691 100644
--- a/deploy/lib/server_config.rb
+++ b/deploy/lib/server_config.rb
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ def ServerConfig.expand_path(path)
     return result
   end
 
+  def ServerConfig.strip_path(path)
+    basepath = File.expand_path(@@path + "/..", @@context)
+    return path.sub(basepath + '/', '')
+  end
+
   def self.jar
     raise HelpException.new("jar", "You must be using JRuby to create a jar") unless RUBY_PLATFORM == "java"
     begin
@@ -302,9 +307,9 @@ def self.initcpf
     if @@is_jar
       sample_config = "roxy/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml"
     else
-    sample_config = ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml")
+      sample_config = ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml")
     end
-    target_config = ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/pipeline-config.xml")
+    target_config = ServerConfig.expand_path(ServerConfig.properties["ml.pipeline-config-file"])
 
     force = find_arg(['--force']).present?
     if !force && File.exists?(target_config)
@@ -1194,7 +1199,7 @@ def install
     if @properties["ml.triggers-db"] then
       deploy_triggers
     end
-    if @properties["ml.triggers-db"] and @properties["ml.data.dir"] and File.exist?(ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/pipeline-config.xml")) then
+    if @properties["ml.triggers-db"] and @properties["ml.data.dir"] and File.exist?(ServerConfig.expand_path(@properties["ml.pipeline-config-file"])) then
       deploy_cpf
     end
     deploy_content
@@ -2182,18 +2187,24 @@ def clean_content
   end
 
   def deploy_cpf
+    default_cpf_config_file = ServerConfig.expand_path(ServerConfig.properties["ml.pipeline-config-file"])
+    cpf_config_file = ServerConfig.expand_path(@properties["ml.pipeline-config-file"])
+
     if @properties["ml.triggers-db"].blank? || @properties["ml.data.dir"].blank?
-      logger.error "To use CPF, you must define the triggers-db property in your build.properties file"
-    elsif !File.exist?(ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/pipeline-config.xml"))
-      logger.error <<-ERR.strip_heredoc
-        Before you can deploy CPF, you must define a configuration. Steps:
-        1. Run 'ml initcpf'
-        2. Edit deploy/pipeline-config.xml to set up your domain and pipelines
-        3. Run 'ml <env> deploy cpf')
-      ERR
+      logger.error "To use CPF, you must define the triggers-db property in your deploy/build.properties file"
+    elsif !File.exist?(cpf_config_file)
+      msg = "Before you can deploy CPF, you must define a configuration. Steps:"
+      if !File.exist?(default_cpf_config_file) && !File.exist?(cpf_config_file)
+        msg = msg + "\n- CPF requires a pipeline-config file, run ml initcpf to create a sample."
+      end
+      if !File.exist?(cpf_config_file) && cpf_config_file != default_cpf_config_file
+        msg = msg + "\n- Copy #{ServerConfig.strip_path(default_cpf_config_file)} to #{ServerConfig.strip_path(cpf_config_file)}."
+      end
+      msg = msg + "\n- Edit #{ServerConfig.strip_path(cpf_config_file)} to customize your domain and pipelines for the given environment."
+      logger.error msg
     else
-      cpf_config = File.read ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/pipeline-config.xml")
-      replace_properties(cpf_config, "pipeline-config.xml")
+      cpf_config = File.read cpf_config_file
+      replace_properties(cpf_config, ServerConfig.strip_path(cpf_config_file))
       cpf_code = File.read ServerConfig.expand_path("#{@@path}/lib/xquery/cpf.xqy")
       query = %Q{#{cpf_code} cpf:load-from-config(#{cpf_config})}
       logger.debug(query)
diff --git a/deploy/lib/xquery/cpf.xqy b/deploy/lib/xquery/cpf.xqy
index 1b8039af..d6179132 100644
--- a/deploy/lib/xquery/cpf.xqy
+++ b/deploy/lib/xquery/cpf.xqy
@@ -195,15 +195,18 @@ declare function cpf:install-cpf-pipelines(
       </options>
     )
   return
-    xdmp:eval(
-      'import module namespace p="http://marklogic.com/cpf/pipelines" at "/MarkLogic/cpf/pipelines.xqy";
-       declare variable $doc external;
-       p:insert($doc/*)',
-      (xs:QName("doc"), $doc),
-      <options xmlns="xdmp:eval">
-        <database>{xdmp:triggers-database()}</database>
-      </options>
-    )
+    if (fn:empty($doc)) then
+      fn:error(xs:QName("NOTFOUND"), "Pipeline config " || $uri || " not found. Did you deploy modules?")
+    else
+      xdmp:eval(
+        'import module namespace p="http://marklogic.com/cpf/pipelines" at "/MarkLogic/cpf/pipelines.xqy";
+         declare variable $doc external;
+         p:insert($doc/*)',
+        (xs:QName("doc"), $doc),
+        <options xmlns="xdmp:eval">
+          <database>{xdmp:triggers-database()}</database>
+        </options>
+      )
 };
 
 (:
diff --git a/deploy/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml b/deploy/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml
index 648398fe..a3fb769b 100644
--- a/deploy/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml
+++ b/deploy/sample/pipeline-config.sample.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       <description>This domain is awesome!!!</description>
       <pipelines>
         <!-- one <pipeline> for each cpf pipeline to install in this domain -->
-        <pipeline>/locaton/to/your/pipeline.xml</pipeline>
+        <pipeline>/location/to/your/pipeline.xml</pipeline>
       </pipelines>
       <system-pipelines>
         <system-pipeline>Status Change Handling</system-pipeline>