diff --git a/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java
index 9f537006be..7674ce26fa 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java
+++ b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ public class RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest  {
         expect(sshClient.getUsername()).andReturn("tester");
         expect(sshClient.getHostAddress()).andReturn("somewhere.example.com");
         expect(sshClient.exec("sudo sh <<'RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH'\n" +
-                "mkdir -p /home/users/testuser\n" +
-                "useradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/testuser testuser\n" +
+                "mkdir -p /home/users\n" +
+                "useradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /home/users/testuser testuser\n" +
                 "chown -R testuser /home/users/testuser\n" +
                 "RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH\n")).andReturn(new ExecResponse("done", null, 0));
         sshClient.disconnect();
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/domain/SaveHttpResponseTo.java b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/domain/SaveHttpResponseTo.java
index e06dc21658..615e5ab06d 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/domain/SaveHttpResponseTo.java
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/domain/SaveHttpResponseTo.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Multimap;
  * @author Adrian Cole
  */
 public class SaveHttpResponseTo extends InterpretableStatement {
-   static final String CURL = "curl -q -s -S -L --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 600 --retry 20";
+   public static final String CURL = "curl -q -s -S -L --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 600 --retry 20";
 
    /**
     * 
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
index 5fd68fbaa2..6621263abd 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ public class UserAdd implements Statement {
          throw new UnsupportedOperationException("windows not yet implemented");
       String homeDir = defaultHome + "{fs}" + login;
       ImmutableList.Builder<Statement> statements = ImmutableList.<Statement> builder();
-      statements.add(Statements.exec("{md} " + homeDir));
+      // useradd cannot create the default homedir
+      statements.add(Statements.exec("{md} " + defaultHome));
 
       ImmutableMap.Builder<String, String> userAddOptions = ImmutableMap.<String, String> builder();
       userAddOptions.put("-s", shell);
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ public class UserAdd implements Statement {
             userAddOptions.put("-G", Joiner.on(',').join(groups));
 
       }
+      userAddOptions.put("-m", "");
       userAddOptions.put("-d", homeDir);
       if (password != null) {
          try {
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java b/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
index fc9140376b..ac570a1eb9 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
@@ -33,41 +33,41 @@ public class UserAddTest {
 
    public void testUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users/me\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithBaseUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").defaultHome("/export/home").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /export/home/me\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -d /export/home/me me\nchown -R me /export/home/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /export/home\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /export/home/me me\nchown -R me /export/home/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithGroupUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").group("wheel").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users/me\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithGroupsUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").groups(ImmutableList.of("wheel", "candy")).build().render(
                OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users/me\ngroupadd -f wheel\ngroupadd -f candy\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -G candy -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\ngroupadd -f candy\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -G candy -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithPasswordUNIX() {
       String userAdd = UserAdd.builder().login("me").password("foo").group("wheel").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX);
-      assert userAdd.startsWith("mkdir -p /home/users/me\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -d /home/users/me -p '$6$") : userAdd;
+      assert userAdd.startsWith("mkdir -p /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me -p '$6$") : userAdd;
       assert userAdd.endsWith("' me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n") : userAdd;
    }
 
    public void testWithSshAuthorizedKeyUNIX() {
       assertEquals(
                UserAdd.builder().login("me").authorizeRSAPublicKey("rsapublickey").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users/me\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/me me\nmkdir -p /home/users/me/.ssh\ncat >> /home/users/me/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'\nrsapublickey\nEND_OF_FILE\nchmod 600 /home/users/me/.ssh/authorized_keys\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /home/users/me me\nmkdir -p /home/users/me/.ssh\ncat >> /home/users/me/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'\nrsapublickey\nEND_OF_FILE\nchmod 600 /home/users/me/.ssh/authorized_keys\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithSshInstalledKeyUNIX() {
       assertEquals(
                UserAdd.builder().login("me").installRSAPrivateKey("rsaprivate").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users/me\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/me me\nmkdir -p /home/users/me/.ssh\nrm /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa\ncat >> /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa <<'END_OF_FILE'\nrsaprivate\nEND_OF_FILE\nchmod 600 /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\nuseradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /home/users/me me\nmkdir -p /home/users/me/.ssh\nrm /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa\ncat >> /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa <<'END_OF_FILE'\nrsaprivate\nEND_OF_FILE\nchmod 600 /home/users/me/.ssh/id_rsa\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    @Test(expectedExceptions = UnsupportedOperationException.class)
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
index 5c66dc833f..3908f6299a 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ root ALL = (ALL) ALL
 %wheel ALL = (ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
 END_OF_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
-mkdir -p /home/users/foo
+mkdir -p /home/users
 groupadd -f wheel
-useradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -d /home/users/foo -p 'crypt(bar)' foo
+useradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/foo -p 'crypt(bar)' foo
 mkdir -p /home/users/foo/.ssh
 cat >> /home/users/foo/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'
 fooPublicKey
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_plainuser.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_plainuser.sh
index 9909b98bf9..d91f18e1ef 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_plainuser.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_plainuser.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername
-useradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
+mkdir -p /home/users
+useradd -s /bin/bash -m  -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
 mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh
 cat >> /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'
 publicKey
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
index 0c10ee9582..3da6b1c70c 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ root ALL = (ALL) ALL
 %wheel ALL = (ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
 END_OF_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
-mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername
+mkdir -p /home/users
 groupadd -f wheel
-useradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
+useradd -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
 mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh
 cat >> /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'
 publicKey