diff --git a/examplar.cpp b/examplar.cpp
index 551d499..7b477c6 100644
--- a/examplar.cpp
+++ b/examplar.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ int main( int argc, char * argv[] )
         std::cout << "Verbosity is INFO." << std::endl;
     }
 
-    Logger slog = Logger( L_LEVEL, "Examplar" );
+    Logger slog = Logger( L_LEVEL, "examplar" );
 
     // A Plan is made up of Tasks, and a Suite is made up of Units.
     // A Plan declares what units are executed and a Suite declares the definitions of those units.
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.cpp b/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.cpp
index a8f3f01..2a70f7a 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ protected:
 /// TODO Expand to detect when a directory path is supplied for units_path or plan_path and import all Tasks and Units.
 ///
 /// \param filename - The filename to load the configuration from.
-Conf::Conf( std::string filename, int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::test" )
+Conf::Conf( std::string filename, int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_conf" )
 {
     this->LOG_LEVEL = LOG_LEVEL;
 
@@ -122,6 +122,18 @@ Conf::Conf( std::string filename, int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slo
         throw ConfigLoadException("env_vars_file is not set in the config file supplied: " + filename);
     }
 
+    this->env_vars_file_literal = this->execution_context_literal + "/" + this->env_vars_file.asString();
+
+    if ( exists( this->env_vars_file_literal ) )
+    {
+        this->slog.log( E_DEBUG, "Environment variables file exists: '" + this->env_vars_file_literal + "'." );
+    } else {
+        this->slog.log( E_FATAL, "Variables file does not exist: '" + this->env_vars_file_literal + "'.");
+        throw ConfigLoadException( "env_vars_file points to an incorrect path." );
+    }
+
+
+
 };
 
 /// Conf::has_context_override - Specifies whether or not the override context function is enabled in the conf file.
@@ -148,5 +160,5 @@ void Conf::set_execution_context( std::string execution_context )
 
 std::string Conf::get_env_vars_file()
 {
-    return this->env_vars_file.asString();
+    return this->env_vars_file_literal;
 }
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.h b/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.h
index c41b31d..ae54f8d 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.h
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Conf.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "../low_level/JSON_Loader.h"
 #include <exception>
 #include "../../Logger/Logger.h"
-
+#include "../misc/helpers.h"
 
 #define STRINGIZE2(s) #s
 #define STRINGIZE(s) STRINGIZE2(s)
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ private:
     Json::Value config_version;
     Json::Value env_vars_file;
 
+    std::string env_vars_file_literal;
+
     // flag to indicate if execution context should be overriden in config file
     // if set to true Examplar should use whats in the config file for current working directory
     // if set to false, Examplar should use the current working directory at time of execution
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Plan.cpp b/src/loaders/abstract/Plan.cpp
index 947cf50..5c35ce1 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Plan.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Plan.cpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ protected:
 /// Plan::Plan() - Constructor for Plan class.  A Plan is a managed container for a Task vector.  These tasks reference
 /// Units that are defined in the Units files (Suite).  If Units are definitions, Tasks are selections of those
 /// definitions to execute, and if Units together form a Suite, Tasks together form a Plan.
-Plan::Plan( Conf * configuration, int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::plan" )
+Plan::Plan( Conf * configuration, int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_plan" )
 {
     this->configuration = configuration;
     this->LOG_LEVEL = LOG_LEVEL;
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Suite.cpp b/src/loaders/abstract/Suite.cpp
index 0738b0e..f89b37a 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Suite.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Suite.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ protected:
 /// human processes to allow modularly developed profiles of test suites.  As inferred, Unit is expected to be one of
 /// the two types that are only instantiated once per application run, though it is designed to be used more than once
 /// if the implementor so desires.
-Suite::Suite( int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::suite" )
+Suite::Suite( int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_suite" )
 {
     this->LOG_LEVEL;
 }
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Task.cpp b/src/loaders/abstract/Task.cpp
index d3b5441..1ba6e2c 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Task.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ protected:
 /// Task::Task() - Constructor for the Task class.  The Task is the building block of a Plan indicating of which Unit to
 /// execute, and its dependencies on other units to have already been completed successfully.
 Task::Task( int LOG_LEVEL ):
-    slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::task" ),
+    slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_task" ),
     definition( LOG_LEVEL )
 {
     // it hasn't executed yet.
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void Task::execute( Conf * configuration )
 
     // get the name
     std::string task_name = this->definition.get_name();
-    this->slog.log( E_DEBUG, "\tUsing unit: \"" + task_name + "\"." );
+    this->slog.log( E_DEBUG, "Using unit: \"" + task_name + "\"." );
     // END PREWORK
 
     // get the target execution command
diff --git a/src/loaders/abstract/Unit.cpp b/src/loaders/abstract/Unit.cpp
index 6079622..88fcfa2 100644
--- a/src/loaders/abstract/Unit.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/abstract/Unit.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class Unit_DataStructureException: public std::runtime_error { public:
 /// required, which is used as a flag to halt or continue if rectifier does not heal the system in such a way that
 /// target can run successfully.
 /// rectify, which is used as a flag to determine in the rectifier runs.
-Unit::Unit( int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::unit" )
+Unit::Unit( int LOG_LEVEL ): JSON_Loader( LOG_LEVEL ), slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_unit" )
 {
     this->LOG_LEVEL;
 }
diff --git a/src/loaders/low_level/JSON_Loader.cpp b/src/loaders/low_level/JSON_Loader.cpp
index 57e49c1..ec68494 100644
--- a/src/loaders/low_level/JSON_Loader.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/low_level/JSON_Loader.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class JSON_Loader_InvalidJSON: public std::runtime_error { public:
 /// JSON_Loader::JSON_Loader - Constructor for JSON_Loader base class.  Simply inits to an unpopulated state.
 ///
 /// The JSON_Loader type is a base type.  It is meant to provide the functionalities shared between Suite and Plan.
-JSON_Loader::JSON_Loader( int LOG_LEVEL ): slog( LOG_LEVEL, "examplar::json_loader" )
+JSON_Loader::JSON_Loader( int LOG_LEVEL ): slog( LOG_LEVEL, "e_json" )
 {
     this->populated = false;
     this->LOG_LEVEL = LOG_LEVEL;
diff --git a/test/config.json b/test/config.json
index 8f6761e..37909dc 100644
--- a/test/config.json
+++ b/test/config.json
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
   "units_path":	"units/all_test.units",
   "plan_path":  "plans/test.plan",
   "config_version": "3",
-  "env_vars_file": "Examplar.variables"
+  "env_vars_file": "examplar.variables"
 }
diff --git a/test/examplar.variables b/test/examplar.variables
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d10a126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/examplar.variables
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+echo "This is output from loading the variables file."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/units/all_test.units b/test/units/all_test.units
index 41fac62..89f167e 100644
--- a/test/units/all_test.units
+++ b/test/units/all_test.units
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
       "name":       "A DEFINITION THAT IS NOT USED",
       "target":     "/usr/bin/dialog --yesno test 50 50",
       "rectifier":  "/usr/bin/false",
-      "active":     true,
-      "required":   true,
+      "active":     false,
+      "required":   false,
       "rectify":    true
     },
     {