diff --git a/planetstack/openstack_observer/ansible.py b/planetstack/openstack_observer/ansible.py
index 41dc6f0..b8cd311 100644
--- a/planetstack/openstack_observer/ansible.py
+++ b/planetstack/openstack_observer/ansible.py
@@ -8,11 +8,15 @@
 import random
 import re
 
+# XXX hardcoded path
+#    is there any reason why we aren't importing planetstack.config ?
+XOS_DIR="/opt/planetstack"
+
 try:
     step_dir = Config().observer_steps_dir
     sys_dir = Config().observer_sys_dir
 except:
-    step_dir = '/opt/planetstack/observer/steps'
+    step_dir = XOS_DIR + '/observer/steps'
     sys_dir = '/opt/opencloud'
 
 os_template_loader = jinja2.FileSystemLoader( searchpath=step_dir)
@@ -63,7 +67,7 @@
     f.write(buffer)
     f.flush()
 
-    run = os.popen('/opt/planetstack/observer/run_ansible %s'%shellquote(fqp))
+    run = os.popen(XOS_DIR + "/observer/run_ansible %s'%shellquote(fqp))
     #run = os.popen('ansible-playbook -v %s'%shellquote(fqp))
     msg = run.read()
     status = run.close()
diff --git a/planetstack/openstack_observer/event_loop.py b/planetstack/openstack_observer/event_loop.py
index bc0b226..ce0ab5e 100644
--- a/planetstack/openstack_observer/event_loop.py
+++ b/planetstack/openstack_observer/event_loop.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 from openstack.driver import OpenStackDriver
 from util.logger import Logger, logging, logger
 #from timeout import timeout
-from planetstack.config import Config
+from planetstack.config import Config, XOS_DIR
 from observer.steps import *
 from syncstep import SyncStep
 from toposort import toposort
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 			if hasattr(Config(), "observer_steps_dir"):
 				step_dir = Config().observer_steps_dir
 			else:
-				step_dir = "/opt/planetstack/observer/steps"
+				step_dir = XOS_DIR + "/observer/steps"
 
 		for fn in os.listdir(step_dir):
 			pathname = os.path.join(step_dir,fn)
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@
 		while True:
 			try:
 				loop_start = time.time()
-				error_map_file = getattr(Config(), "error_map_path", "/opt/planetstack/error_map.txt")
+				error_map_file = getattr(Config(), "error_map_path", XOS_DIR + "/error_map.txt")
 				self.error_mapper = ErrorMapper(error_map_file)
 
 				# Set of whole steps that failed