diff --git a/docker/run_end_to_end.sh b/docker/run_end_to_end.sh
index 9a7036f..6d003b0 100755
--- a/docker/run_end_to_end.sh
+++ b/docker/run_end_to_end.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 
 shopt -s nocasematch
 set -u # nounset
-set -e # errexit
 set -E # errtrap
 set -o pipefail
 
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@
 SKIP_REBUILD_BRO=false
 NO_PCAP=false
 ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" > /dev/null && pwd)"
+PLUGIN_ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && cd .. > /dev/null && pwd)"
 SCRIPT_DIR="${ROOT_DIR}"/scripts
 CONTAINER_DIR="${ROOT_DIR}"/containers/bro-localbuild-container
 DATA_PATH="${ROOT_DIR}"/data
@@ -55,7 +55,36 @@
 LOG_DATE=${DATE// /_}
 TEST_OUTPUT_PATH="${ROOT_DIR}/test_output/"${LOG_DATE//:/_}
 KAFKA_TOPIC="bro"
-PLUGIN_VERSION=$(cd "${ROOT_DIR}" && git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+
+cd "${PLUGIN_ROOT_DIR}" || { echo "NO PLUGIN ROOT" ; exit 1; }
+# we may not be checked out from git, check and make it so that we are since
+# bro-pkg requires it
+
+git status 2&>1
+rc=$?; if [[ ${rc} != 0 ]]; then
+  echo "bro-pkg requires the plugin to be a git repo, creating..."
+  git init .
+  rc=$?; if [[ ${rc} != 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR> FAILED TO INITIALIZE GIT IN PLUGIN DIRECTORY. ${rc}"
+  exit ${rc}
+  fi
+  git add .
+  rc=$?; if [[ ${rc} != 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR> FAILED TO ADD ALL TO GIT PLUGIN DIRECTORY. ${rc}"
+  exit ${rc}
+  fi
+  git commit -m 'docker run'
+  rc=$?; if [[ ${rc} != 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR> FAILED TO COMMIT TO GIT MASTER IN PLUGIN DIRECTORY. ${rc}"
+  exit ${rc}
+  fi
+  echo "git repo created"
+fi
+
+# set errexit for the rest of the run
+set -e
+
+PLUGIN_VERSION=$(git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 
 # Handle command line options
 for i in "$@"; do
@@ -119,7 +148,7 @@
 done
 
 EXTRA_ARGS="$*"
-
+cd "${ROOT_DIR}" || { echo "NO ROOT" ; exit 1; }
 echo "Running build_container with "
 echo "SKIP_REBUILD_BRO = ${SKIP_REBUILD_BRO}"
 echo "DATA_PATH        = ${DATA_PATH}"