diff --git a/radiopadre_client/default_config.py b/radiopadre_client/default_config.py
index 68c6a2d..8583f25 100644
--- a/radiopadre_client/default_config.py
+++ b/radiopadre_client/default_config.py
@@ -16,12 +16,15 @@
 # change this to a proper patch release number for a real release
 __version__ = "1.2.pre1"
 
+# set this to True to have auto-installs use git rather than pip, suitable dor dev branches etc.
+# default convention is to use b1.2.x branch for version 1.2.preN
+__install_from_branch__ = "b" + re.sub("pre.*", "x", __version__) if "pre" in __version__ else None
+
+__tag_prefix__ = "b" if __install_from_branch__ else ""
+
 # if True, this is a stable release e.g. 1.1.0. If False, this is an dev version e.g. 1.1.x 
 __release__ = re.match("^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$", __version__)
 
-# git tag or branch to use: vXXX for releases and bXXX for devs
-__tag_prefix__ = "b" # "v" if __release__ else "b"
-
 # release x.y.z pulls x.y.latest image
 if __release__:
     __image_version__ = ".".join([__release__.group(1), __release__.group(2), "latest"])
@@ -43,12 +46,12 @@
     GRIM_REAPER=True,
     REMOTE_RADIOPADRE_DIR="~/.radiopadre",
     CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH="~/radiopadre-client",
-    CLIENT_INSTALL_REPO="", #"https://github.com/ratt-ru/radiopadre-client.git", # empty for pip release
-    CLIENT_INSTALL_BRANCH=__tag_prefix__ + __version__,                   # change for each release
+    CLIENT_INSTALL_REPO="https://github.com/ratt-ru/radiopadre-client.git" if __install_from_branch__ else "",
+    CLIENT_INSTALL_BRANCH=__install_from_branch__,
     CLIENT_INSTALL_PIP="radiopadre-client",
     SERVER_INSTALL_PATH="~/radiopadre",
-    SERVER_INSTALL_REPO="", #"https://github.com/ratt-ru/radiopadre.git", # empty for pip release
-    SERVER_INSTALL_BRANCH=__tag_prefix__ + __version__,                   # change for each release
+    SERVER_INSTALL_REPO="https://github.com/ratt-ru/radiopadre.git" if __install_from_branch__ else "",
+    SERVER_INSTALL_BRANCH=__install_from_branch__,                  
     SERVER_INSTALL_PIP="radiopadre",
     SINGULARITY_IMAGE_DIR="",
     SINGULARITY_AUTO_BUILD=True,
diff --git a/radiopadre_client/remote.py b/radiopadre_client/remote.py
index a51943a..c1f5a58 100644
--- a/radiopadre_client/remote.py
+++ b/radiopadre_client/remote.py
@@ -265,8 +265,8 @@ def check_remote_command(command):
                 install_path = f"git+{config.CLIENT_INSTALL_REPO}@{branch}"
 
             # now pip install
-            message(f"Doing pip install -e {install_path} in {config.RADIOPADRE_VENV}")
-            ssh_remote_v(f"source {config.RADIOPADRE_VENV}/bin/activate && {pip_install} -e {install_path}")
+            # message(f"Doing pip install -e {install_path} in {config.RADIOPADRE_VENV}")
+            # ssh_remote_v(f"source {config.RADIOPADRE_VENV}/bin/activate && {pip_install} -e {install_path}")
         # else, installing directly from pip
         elif config.CLIENT_INSTALL_PIP:
             message(f"--client-install-pip {config.CLIENT_INSTALL_PIP} is configured.")