diff --git a/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.cpp b/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.cpp
index f178f22..95ffc1a 100644
--- a/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.cpp
+++ b/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ QString SsuDeviceInfo::adaptationVariables(const QString &adaptationName, QHash<
       storageHash->insert("adaptation", adaptationRepo);
       ssuLog->print(LOG_DEBUG, "Found first adaptation " + adaptationName);
 
-      QHash<QString, QString> h = variableSection(adaptationRepo);
+      QHash<QString, QString> h;
+      variableSection(adaptationRepo, &h);
 
       QHash<QString, QString>::const_iterator i = h.constBegin();
       while (i != h.constEnd()){
@@ -263,26 +264,23 @@ QStringList SsuDeviceInfo::repos(bool rnd, int filter){
   return result;
 }
 
-QHash<QString, QString> SsuDeviceInfo::variableSection(QString section){
-  QHash<QString, QString> result;
-
+void SsuDeviceInfo::variableSection(QString section, QHash<QString, QString> *storageHash){
   if (!section.startsWith("var-"))
     section = "var-" + section;
 
   if (boardMappings->contains(section + "/variables")){
-    return variableSection(boardMappings->value(section + "/variables").toString());
+    variableSection(boardMappings->value(section + "/variables").toString(), storageHash);
+    return;
   }
 
   boardMappings->beginGroup(section);
   if (boardMappings->group() != section)
-    return result;
+    return;
 
   QStringList keys = boardMappings->allKeys();
   foreach (const QString &key, keys){
-    result.insert(key, boardMappings->value(key).toString());
+    storageHash->insert(key, boardMappings->value(key).toString());
   }
-
-  return result;
 }
 
 void SsuDeviceInfo::setDeviceModel(QString model){
diff --git a/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.h b/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.h
index 79bd7e9..a506600 100644
--- a/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.h
+++ b/libssu/ssudeviceinfo.h
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ class SsuDeviceInfo: public QObject {
      * Return the requested variable section. 'var-' is automatically
      * prepended to the section name if not specified already.
      */
-    QHash<QString, QString> variableSection(QString section);
+    void variableSection(QString section, QHash<QString, QString> *storageHash);
+
     /**
      * Return a value from an adaptation section. Returns an empty string
      * or a given default value if key does not exist.
diff --git a/ssuks/ssukickstarter.cpp b/ssuks/ssukickstarter.cpp
index cf5fbf3..b48657f 100644
--- a/ssuks/ssukickstarter.cpp
+++ b/ssuks/ssukickstarter.cpp
@@ -10,18 +10,14 @@
 #include <QDirIterator>
 
 #include "ssukickstarter.h"
+#include "libssu/ssurepomanager.h"
+#include "libssu/ssuvariables.h"
 
 #include "../constants.h"
 
 /* TODO:
- * - rnd/release handling.
- *   repo --name=adaptation0-@RNDRELEASE@
- *        --baseurl=https://releases.jollamobile.com/nemo/@RELEASE@-devel/adaptation-n9xx-common/@ARCH@/
- *   @RELEASE@ should be @RNDRELEASE@ in this case as well
  * - commands from the command section should be verified
- * - go through the variable lookup process for non-url variables as well
  * - allow overriding brand key
- * - use (and expand) filename key if no filename is given on command line
  */
 
 
@@ -39,7 +35,9 @@ QStringList SsuKickstarter::commands(){
   SsuDeviceInfo deviceInfo(deviceModel);
   QStringList result;
 
-  QHash<QString, QString> h = deviceInfo.variableSection("kickstart-commands");
+  QHash<QString, QString> h;
+
+  deviceInfo.variableSection("kickstart-commands", &h);
 
   // read commands from variable, ...
 
@@ -168,27 +166,32 @@ void SsuKickstarter::setRepoParameters(QHash<QString, QString> parameters){
 
   if (repoOverride.contains("model"))
     deviceModel = repoOverride.value("model");
-/*
-  else
-    repoOverride.insert("model", deviceInfo.deviceModel());
-*/
 }
 
-void SsuKickstarter::write(QString kickstart){
+bool SsuKickstarter::write(QString kickstart){
   QFile ks;
   QTextStream kout;
-  SsuDeviceInfo deviceInfo;
+  QTextStream qerr(stderr);
+  SsuDeviceInfo deviceInfo(deviceModel);
+  SsuRepoManager repoManager;
+  SsuVariables var;
 
-  if (kickstart.isEmpty())
-    ks.open(stdout, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
-  else {
-    ks.setFileName(kickstart);
-    ks.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly);
+  // rnd mode should not come from the defaults
+  if (repoOverride.contains("rnd")){
+    if (repoOverride.value("rnd") == "true")
+      rndMode = true;
+    else if (repoOverride.value("rnd") == "false")
+      rndMode = false;
   }
 
-  kout.setDevice(&ks);
+  QHash<QString, QString> defaults;
+  // get generic repo variables; domain and adaptation specific bits are not interesting
+  // in the kickstart
+  repoManager.repoVariables(&defaults, rndMode);
+
+  // overwrite with kickstart defaults
+  deviceInfo.variableSection("kickstart-defaults", &defaults);
 
-  QHash<QString, QString> defaults = deviceInfo.variableSection("kickstart-defaults");
   QHash<QString, QString>::const_iterator it = defaults.constBegin();
   while (it != defaults.constEnd()){
     if (!repoOverride.contains(it.key()))
@@ -196,18 +199,37 @@ void SsuKickstarter::write(QString kickstart){
     it++;
   }
 
-  if (repoOverride.contains("rnd")){
-    if (repoOverride.value("rnd") == "true")
-      rndMode = true;
-    else if (repoOverride.value("rnd") == "false")
-      rndMode = false;
-  }
-
   // in rnd mode both rndRelease an release should be the same,
   // as the variable name used is %(release)
   if (rndMode && repoOverride.contains("rndRelease"))
     repoOverride.insert("release", repoOverride.value("rndRelease"));
 
+  // release mode variables should not contain flavourName
+  if (!rndMode && repoOverride.contains("flavourName"))
+    repoOverride.remove("flavourName");
+
+  //TODO: check for mandatory keys, brand, ..
+  if (!repoOverride.contains("deviceModel"))
+    repoOverride.insert("deviceModel", deviceInfo.deviceModel());
+
+  if (kickstart.isEmpty()){
+    if (repoOverride.contains("filename")){
+      ks.setFileName(var.resolveString(repoOverride.value("filename"),
+                                       &repoOverride));
+      ks.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly);
+    } else {
+      qerr << "No filename specified, and no default filename configured" << endl;
+      return false;
+    }
+  } else if (kickstart == "-")
+    ks.open(stdout, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
+  else {
+    ks.setFileName(kickstart);
+    ks.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly);
+  }
+
+  kout.setDevice(&ks);
+
   kout << commands().join("\n") << endl << endl;
   kout << partitions().join("\n") << endl << endl;
   kout << repos().join("\n") << endl << endl;
@@ -217,4 +239,6 @@ void SsuKickstarter::write(QString kickstart){
   kout << scriptletSection("post", false).join("\n") << endl << endl;
   // add flags as bitmask?
   // POST, die-on-error
+
+  return true;
 }
diff --git a/ssuks/ssukickstarter.h b/ssuks/ssukickstarter.h
index 942bc8d..093eccb 100644
--- a/ssuks/ssukickstarter.h
+++ b/ssuks/ssukickstarter.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class SsuKickstarter {
   public:
     SsuKickstarter();
     void setRepoParameters(QHash<QString, QString> parameters);
-    void write(QString kickstart="");
+    bool write(QString kickstart="");
 
   private:
     QHash<QString, QString> repoOverride;