diff --git a/build_chroot.sh b/build_chroot.sh
index af3cc55..5caf199 100755
--- a/build_chroot.sh
+++ b/build_chroot.sh
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ basicSetup () {
     local chroot="sudo systemd-nspawn --as-pid2 --quiet -D ${SOLROOT}" # better chroot essentially
     #local chroot="sudo chroot ${SOLROOT}"
     # necessary cruft for sudo to work with the eopkg_venv
-    local eopkg_py3="sudo -E env PATH=${PATH} eopkg.py3"
-    local eopkg_bin='eopkg.bin'
+    local eopkg_py3="sudo -E env PATH=${PATH} eopkg.py3 --debug"
+    local eopkg_bin='eopkg.bin --debug'
     local mkdir='sudo mkdir -pv'
 
     local eopkg_py3_path="$(command -v eopkg.py3)"
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ basicSetup () {
     printInfo "${MSG}"
     ${eopkg_py3} remove-repo Solus -D "${SOLROOT}" || die "${MSG}"
 
+    MSG="Listing enabled repositories ..."
+    printInfo "${MSG}"
+    ${eopkg_py3} list-repo -D "${SOLROOT}" || die "${MSG}"
     #MSG="Installing baselayout ..."
     #${eopkg_py3} install -y -D "${SOLROOT}" --ignore-safety --ignore-comar baselayout || die "${MSG}"
 
diff --git a/eopkg_venv_functions.bash b/eopkg_venv_functions.bash
index cf6bd3b..abc49b7 100644
--- a/eopkg_venv_functions.bash
+++ b/eopkg_venv_functions.bash
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 source shared_functions.bash
 
+# allow user to override branch name
+EOPKG_BRANCH="${BRANCH:-main}"
+
 function prepare_venv () {
     if [[ -z "${PY3}" ]]; then
         die "Couldn't find supported python3 (3.11 || 3.12 || 3.10) interpreter, exiting!"
@@ -15,7 +18,7 @@ function prepare_venv () {
     # Assume the user starts in the eopkg dir
     printInfo "Updating the eopkg git repo ..."
     # ensure we show the current branch
-    git fetch && git checkout main && git pull && git branch
+    git fetch && git checkout "${EOPKG_BRANCH}" && git pull && git branch
 
     printInfo "Set up a clean eopkg_venv venv ..."
     ${PY3} -m venv --system-site-packages --clear eopkg_venv
diff --git a/pisi/operations/helper.py b/pisi/operations/helper.py
index 780d6b2..bd771ac 100644
--- a/pisi/operations/helper.py
+++ b/pisi/operations/helper.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 import pisi.db
 
 
-def reorder_base_packages(order):
+def reorder_base_packages_old(order):
     componentdb = pisi.db.componentdb.ComponentDB()
 
     """system.base packages must be first in order"""
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ def reorder_base_packages(order):
         ctx.ui.info(_("install_order: %s" % install_order))
     return install_order
 
+def reorder_base_packages(order):
+    """Dummy function that doesn't actually re-order system.base in front.
+
+       We now use OrderedSets, which keep the original topological sort,
+       so this shouldn't actually be necessary now.
+
+       This also implies that the only function of system.base is for the
+       packages in it to be un-removable.
+    """
+    if len(order) > 1 and ctx.config.get_option("debug"):
+        ctx.ui.info(_("order: %s" % order))
+    return order
 
 def check_conflicts(order, packagedb):
     """check if upgrading to the latest versions will cause havoc