diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/custom-config-widget/suggestion-dropdown.js b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/custom-config-widget/suggestion-dropdown.js
index d58ec88..0899c0a 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/custom-config-widget/suggestion-dropdown.js
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/custom-config-widget/suggestion-dropdown.js
@@ -46,21 +46,28 @@
     };
 
     function link(scope, element, attrs, specEditor) {
-        scope.specEditor = specEditor;
-        scope.defined = specEditor.defined;
-        scope.getSuggestions = () => {
-            var result = [];
-            if (scope.params['suggestion-values']) {
-                scope.params['suggestion-values'].forEach( (v) => {
-                    if (v["value"]) {
-                        result.push(v);
-                    } else {
-                        result.push({value: v});
-                    }
-                });
-                return result;
+        try {
+            scope.specEditor = specEditor;
+            scope.defined = specEditor.defined;
+            scope.getSuggestions = () => {
+                var result = [];
+                if (scope.params['suggestion-values']) {
+                    scope.params['suggestion-values'].forEach( (v) => {
+                        if (v["value"]) {
+                            result.push(v);
+                        } else {
+                            result.push({value: v});
+                        }
+                    });
+                    return result;
+                }
+            };
+        } catch (e) {
+            if ($scope.params) {
+                $scope.params.error = e;
             }
-        };
+            throw e;
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/providers/blueprint-service.provider.js b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/providers/blueprint-service.provider.js
index 38604a3..7808a98 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/providers/blueprint-service.provider.js
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/providers/blueprint-service.provider.js
@@ -265,15 +265,28 @@
         return deferred.promise;
     }
 
+    function locationType(location) {
+        if (!location || typeof location === 'string') return location;
+        if (typeof location === 'object' && Object.keys(location).length==1) return Object.keys(location)[0];
+        return null;
+    }
+    
     function refreshLocationMetadata(entity) {
         let deferred = $q.defer();
 
         if (entity.hasLocation()) {
-            paletteApi.getLocation(entity.location).then((location)=> {
-                deferred.resolve(populateLocationFromApiSuccess(entity, location.catalog || location));
-            }).catch(function () {
-                deferred.resolve(populateLocationFromApiError(entity));
-            });
+            let type = locationType(entity.location);
+            if (type.startsWith("jclouds:")) {
+                // types eg jclouds:aws-ec2 are low-level, not in the catalog
+                deferred.resolve(populateLocationFromApiSuccess(entity, { yamlHere: entity.location }));
+            } else {
+                paletteApi.getLocation(locationType(entity.location)).then((location)=> {
+                    let loc = Object.assign({}, location.catalog || location, { yamlHere: entity.location });
+                    deferred.resolve(populateLocationFromApiSuccess(entity, loc));
+                }).catch(function () {
+                    deferred.resolve(populateLocationFromApiError(entity));
+                });
+            }
         } else {
             deferred.resolve(entity);
         }
@@ -601,18 +614,30 @@
         return entity;
     }
 
-    function populateLocationFromApiSuccess(entity, data) {
+    function populateLocationFromApiCommon(entity, data) {
         entity.clearIssues({group: 'location'});
-        entity.location = data.symbolicName;
-        entity.miscData.set('locationName', data.name);
-        entity.miscData.set('locationIcon', data.iconUrl || iconGenerator(data.symbolicName));
+        entity.location = data.yamlHere || data.symbolicName;
+        
+        let name = data.name || data.displayName;
+        if (!name && data.yamlHere) {
+            name = typeof data.yamlHere === 'object' ? Object.keys(data.yamlHere)[0] : data.yamlHere;
+        }
+        if (!name) name =  data.symbolicName;
+        entity.miscData.set('locationName', name);
+        
+        // use icon on item, but if none then generate using *yaml* to distinguish when someone has changed it
+        // (especially for things like jclouds:aws-ec2 -- the config is more interesting than the type name)
+        entity.miscData.set('locationIcon', data==null ? null : data.iconUrl || iconGenerator(data.yamlHere ? JSON.stringify(data.yamlHere) : data.symbolicName));
         return entity;
     }
+    
+    function populateLocationFromApiSuccess(entity, data) {
+        populateLocationFromApiCommon(entity, data);
+    }
 
     function populateLocationFromApiError(entity) {
-        entity.clearIssues({group: 'location'});
+        populateLocationFromApiCommon(entity, { yamlHere: entity.location });
         entity.addIssue(Issue.builder().level(ISSUE_LEVEL.WARN).group('location').message($sce.trustAsHtml(`Location <samp>${!(entity.location instanceof String) ? JSON.stringify(entity.location) : entity.location}</samp> does not exist in your local catalog. Deployment might fail.`)).build());
-        entity.miscData.set('locationName', entity.location);
         entity.miscData.set('locationIcon', typeNotFoundIcon);
         return entity;
     }
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.directive.js b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.directive.js
index 53be4f2..95c59e4 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.directive.js
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.directive.js
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@
         }
         scope.nonempty = (o) => o && Object.keys(o).length;
         scope.defined = specEditor.defined = (o) => (typeof o !== 'undefined');
+        specEditor.isInstance = (x, type) => (typeof x === type);
+                
         specEditor.advanceOutToFormGroupInPanel = (element, event) => {
             focusIfPossible(event, findAncestor(element, "form-group", "panel-body")) || element[0].blur();
         };
@@ -571,16 +573,35 @@
         /** returns 'enabled' or 'disabled' if a widget is defined, or null if no special widget is defined */
         specEditor.getCustomConfigWidgetMode = (item) => {
             var widgetMetadata = scope.state.config.customConfigWidgetMetadata[item.name];
-            if (!widgetMetadata || widgetMetadata["error"]) return null;
+            if (!widgetMetadata) return null;
+            if (widgetMetadata["error"]) {
+                return "disabled";
+            }
             return widgetMetadata["enabled"] ? 'enabled' : 'disabled';
         };
+        specEditor.customConfigWidgetError = (item) => {
+            var widgetMetadata = scope.state.config.customConfigWidgetMetadata[item.name];
+            if (!widgetMetadata || !widgetMetadata["error"]) return null;
+            if (widgetMetadata.manualToggleAfterError && widgetMetadata.enabled) {
+                // show the error if manually enabled
+                return widgetMetadata["error"];
+            }
+            return null;
+        };
         specEditor.toggleCustomConfigWidgetMode = (item, newval) => {
             var widgetMetadata = scope.state.config.customConfigWidgetMetadata[item.name];
             if (!widgetMetadata) {
                 $log.error('Custom widget mode should not be toggled when not available: '+item.name);
                 return null;
             }
-            if (!specEditor.defined(newval)) newval = !widgetMetadata.enabled;
+            if (!specEditor.defined(newval)) {
+                if (widgetMetadata["error"] && !widgetMetadata.manualToggleAfterError) {
+                    widgetMetadata.manualToggleAfterError = true;
+                    newval = true;
+                } else {
+                    newval = !widgetMetadata.enabled;
+                }
+            }
             widgetMetadata.enabled = newval;
         }
         specEditor.getCustomConfigWidgetModeTitle = (item) => {
@@ -715,7 +736,7 @@
                             return scope.config[key];
                         }
                     } catch (ignoredError) {
-                        console.log("Couldn't handle entered JSON", scope.config[key], ignoredError);
+                        $log.debug("Couldn't handle entered JSON", scope.config[key], ignoredError);
                     }
                 }
                 // otherwise pretty print it, so they get decent multiline on first load and
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.less b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.less
index 591e046..15dd9d3 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.less
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.less
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
 @hide-info-button-when-not-hovered: false;
 @hide-unset-undefault-values: true;
 
-@label-gray: darken(@gray-light, 10%);
-@gray-lightest: #f8f8f9;
-
 spec-editor {
   display: block;
   margin-top: 15px;
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.template.html b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.template.html
index 31af6f8..fe00172 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.template.html
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/spec-editor/spec-editor.template.html
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 
         <form name="formSpecConfig" novalidate class="lightweight">
             <div ng-repeat="item in (filteredItems = (model.miscData.get('config') | specEditorConfig:state.config.filter.values:model | filter:{name:state.config.search} | orderBy:+priority)) track by item.name ">
-                <div class="form-group" ng-class="{'has-error': (model.issues | filter:{ref: item.name}:true).length > 0, 'used': config[item.name] !== undefined}" 
+                <div class="form-group" ng-class="{'has-error': ((model.issues | filter:{ref: item.name}:true).length > 0) || (specEditor.customConfigWidgetError(item)), 'used': config[item.name] !== undefined}" 
                         ng-switch="getConfigWidgetMode(item)" 
                         tabindex="1"
                         auto-focus="state.config.focus === item.name"
@@ -332,6 +332,10 @@
                     </div>
                     
                     <small ng-repeat="issue in model.issues | filter:{ref: item.name}:true" class="help-block issue" ng-bind-html="issue.message"></small>
+                    <small ng-if="specEditor.customConfigWidgetError(item)" class="help-block issue">
+                            Custom widget unavailable:
+                            {{ specEditor.customConfigWidgetError(item) }}
+                    </small>
                   </div>
 
                 </div>
@@ -362,7 +366,12 @@
             <p ng-repeat="issue in state.issues | filter:{group:'location'}" class="alert alert-{{issue.severity}}">
                 <em ng-bind-html="issue.message"></em>
             </p>
-            <p>Will be deployed to: <strong>{{model.miscData.get('locationName')}}</strong></p>
+            <p>
+                Targeted at: 
+                <strong ng-if="specEditor.isInstance(model.location, 'string')">{{ model.miscData.get('locationName') }}</strong>
+                <pre ng-if="!specEditor.isInstance(model.location, 'string')">{{ model.location | json }}</pre>
+            </p>
+            <br/>
             <a class="btn btn-default" ui-sref="main.graphical.edit.add({entityId: model._id, family: 'location'})">Change location</a>
             <button class="btn btn-danger btn-link" ng-click="model.clearIssues({group: 'location'}).removeLocation()">Remove</button>
         </div>
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/d3-blueprint.js b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/d3-blueprint.js
index b25bc04..b199ab0 100755
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/d3-blueprint.js
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/d3-blueprint.js
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@
         relationships: [],
     };
 
-    let zoom = d3.zoom().scaleExtent([0.1, 1]).on('zoom', onSvgZoom);
+    let viewportWidth = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.body.clientWidth;
+    let zoom = d3.zoom().scaleExtent([0.1, Math.max(1, 1 + Math.log(viewportWidth/1024))]).on('zoom', onSvgZoom);
     _svg
         .attr('preserveAspectRatio', 'xMinYMin meet')
         .attr('viewBox', () => {
@@ -617,11 +618,13 @@
             .duration(_configHolder.transition)
             .attr('opacity', (d)=>(d.data.hasLocation() ? 1 : 0));
         appendElements(location, _configHolder.nodes.location);
+        
         nodeData.select('g.node-location image')
             .transition()
             .duration(_configHolder.transition)
-            .attr('opacity', (d)=>(d.data.miscData.get('locationIcon') ? 1 : 0))
-            .attr('xlink:href', (d)=>(d.data.miscData.get('locationIcon')));
+            .attr('opacity', (d)=>(d.data.miscData.get('locationIcon') ? 1 : 0));
+        nodeData.select('g.node-location image')
+            .attr('xlink:href', (d)=>d.data.miscData.get('locationIcon'));
 
         // Draw important adjuncts (i.e policies/enrichers)
         // -----------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/model/entity.model.js b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/model/entity.model.js
index 603eaa9..6f4ad40 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/model/entity.model.js
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/components/util/model/entity.model.js
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@
      */
     set location(location) {
         LOCATIONS.set(this, location);
+        this.miscData.delete('locationRemoved');
         this.touch();
     }
 
@@ -281,6 +282,13 @@
      */
     removeLocation() {
         LOCATIONS.delete(this);
+        this.miscData.delete('locationName');
+        this.miscData.delete('locationIcon');
+        
+        // this field provides a way for consumers to detect if the location was explicitly removed;
+        // this can be useful to prevent default locations from being applied
+        this.miscData.set('locationRemoved', true);
+        
         this.touch();
     }
 
diff --git a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/index.less b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/index.less
index 86e52dc..e42474c 100644
--- a/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/index.less
+++ b/ui-modules/blueprint-composer/app/index.less
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@
 @import "components/dsl-editor/dsl-editor";
 @import "components/dsl-viewer/dsl-viewer";
 
-@gray-lighter: #E1E5E7;
-@gray-light: #818899;
-
 .make-icon(@size) {
   width: auto;
   height: auto;
diff --git a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/detail/detail.controller.js b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/detail/detail.controller.js
index 426c1a9..01c0818 100644
--- a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/detail/detail.controller.js
+++ b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/detail/detail.controller.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
             $state.go('locations');
             brSnackbar.create('Location "' + $filter('locationName')(vm.location) + '" deleted successfully');
         }).catch(error => {
-            brSnackbar.create('Could not delete this location: ' + error.message);
+            brSnackbar.create('Could not delete this location: ' + error.error.message);
         });
     };
     vm.editLocation = function () {
diff --git a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/advanced/advanced.controller.js b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/advanced/advanced.controller.js
index 975d9c3..0107bc2 100644
--- a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/advanced/advanced.controller.js
+++ b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/advanced/advanced.controller.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
         catalogApi.create(payload).then(data => {
             $state.go('detail', {symbolicName: vm.id, version: vm.version});
         }).catch(error => {
-            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.data.message ? error.data.message : error.data);
+            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.error.message ? error.error.message : error.data);
         });
     };
 
diff --git a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/byon/byon.controller.js b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/byon/byon.controller.js
index c12c789..51ab1db 100644
--- a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/byon/byon.controller.js
+++ b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/byon/byon.controller.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
         catalogApi.create(payload).then(data => {
             $state.go('detail', {symbolicName: vm.id, version: vm.version});
         }).catch(error => {
-            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.data.message ? error.data.message : error.data);
+            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.error.message ? error.error.message : error.error);
         });
     };
 
diff --git a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/cloud/cloud.controller.js b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/cloud/cloud.controller.js
index 4e015c4..996a156 100644
--- a/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/cloud/cloud.controller.js
+++ b/ui-modules/location-manager/app/views/wizard/cloud/cloud.controller.js
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
         catalogApi.create(payload).then(data => {
             $state.go('detail', {symbolicName: vm.id, version: vm.version});
         }).catch(error => {
-            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.data.message ? error.data.message : error.data);
+            brSnackbar.create('Could not save location: ' + error.error.message ? error.error.message : error.error);
         });
     };
 
diff --git a/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/buttons.less b/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/buttons.less
index e87dbc3..baefe44 100644
--- a/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/buttons.less
+++ b/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/buttons.less
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 .btn-accent {
     .button-variant(@btn-accent-color; @btn-accent-bg; @btn-accent-border);
 }
+.btn-light {
+  .button-variant(@gray-dark; @gray-lightest; @gray-lightest);
+}
 
 .btn-outline {
     &.btn-primary:not(:hover) {
@@ -49,4 +52,9 @@
         background-color: transparent;
         color: @brand-danger;
     }
+    
+    &.btn-light:not(:hover) {
+        background-color: transparent;
+        color: @gray-lightest;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/variables.less b/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/variables.less
index efe673a..439ee28 100644
--- a/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/variables.less
+++ b/ui-modules/utils/br-core/style/variables.less
@@ -21,18 +21,18 @@
 @brand-accent: #bf3727;
 
 
-// Create path variables for fonts and images
-@br-core-path-font: '../fonts';
-@br-core-path-img: '../img';
-// Override the font-awesome path to use our custom one
-@fa-font-path: @br-core-path-font;
+// bootstrap colours at
+// https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap-sass/blob/master/assets/stylesheets/bootstrap/_variables.scss
 
+@gray-light: #818899;   // override bootstrap default of #777
+@gray-lighter: #E1E5E7; // override bootstrap default of #eee
+@gray-lightest: #f8f8f9;
+@label-gray: darken(@gray-light, 10%);  // between @gray and @gray-light
 
-@body-bg: hsl(223,30%,97%);
+@body-bg: hsl(223,30%,97%);  // override bootstrap default, #333, same as @gray-dark, used for the button bar, body default bg colour from bootstrap scaffolding
+
 @card-border-color: mix(black, @body-bg, 7%);
 
-@font-family-sans-serif: "myriad-pro-1", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
-
 /* Colors in pattern lab */
 .brand-primary {
   background-color: @brand-primary;
@@ -54,3 +54,13 @@
 @state-accent-text:             @accent-500;
 @state-accent-bg:               @accent-30;
 @state-accent-border:           darken(spin(@state-accent-bg, -10), 5%);
+
+
+// Create path variables for fonts and images
+
+@br-core-path-font: '../fonts';
+@br-core-path-img: '../img';
+// Override the font-awesome path to use our custom one
+@fa-font-path: @br-core-path-font;
+
+@font-family-sans-serif: "myriad-pro-1", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
diff --git a/ui-modules/utils/table/index.js b/ui-modules/utils/table/index.js
index 9419b4d..bf12ef2 100644
--- a/ui-modules/utils/table/index.js
+++ b/ui-modules/utils/table/index.js
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
         link: link,
         controller: ['$templateCache', 'brUtilsGeneral', controller],
         controllerAs: 'ctrl',
+        scope: true,
         templateUrl: function(element, attrs) {
             return attrs.templateUrl || TEMPLATE_CONTAINER_URL;
         }
diff --git a/ui-modules/utils/yaml-editor/addon/schemas/blueprint.json b/ui-modules/utils/yaml-editor/addon/schemas/blueprint.json
index bbf118f..fcc8ebc 100644
--- a/ui-modules/utils/yaml-editor/addon/schemas/blueprint.json
+++ b/ui-modules/utils/yaml-editor/addon/schemas/blueprint.json
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
   "title": "Blueprint",
   "description": "A blueprint that is composed of one or more entities",
   "type": "object",
-  "required": [ "services" ],
   "properties": {
     "name": {
       "title": "Blueprint name",