diff --git a/zlibs/bootstrap b/zlibs/bootstrap
index ac5bb49..eccf236 100644
--- a/zlibs/bootstrap
+++ b/zlibs/bootstrap
@@ -138,14 +138,14 @@ bootstrap_tar_unpack() {
 	ckreq || return 1
 
 	if [[ -f "${unpath}/.keep" ]]; then
-		error "no .keep file found. exiting..."
-		zerr
-		exit 1
-	else
 		mkdir -p ${unpath}
 		silly
 		sudo tar xfp $bootstrap_tgz -C ${unpath}
 		sudo mkdir -p ${unpath}/{boot,dev,sys,proc}
+	else
+		error "no .keep file found. exiting..."
+		zerr
+		exit 1
 	fi
 
 	cat <<EOF | sudo tee ${strapdir}/postunpack >/dev/null
diff --git a/zlibs/imaging b/zlibs/imaging
index 6d4103b..b5e9047 100644
--- a/zlibs/imaging
+++ b/zlibs/imaging
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ image_raw_as_strapdir() {
 
 	notice "mounting raw image to strapdir"
 	sudo mount ${loopdevice}p1 $strapdir
-
+	echo 1 | sudo tee ${strapdir}/.keep >/dev/null ## hack? XXX: bootstrap_tar_unpack couldn't see it
 	popd
 }
 
@@ -193,6 +193,6 @@ image_qcow2_as_strapdir() {
 
 	notice "mounting qcow2 image to strapdir"
 	sudo mount ${loopdevice}p1 $strapdir || zerr
-
+	echo 1 | sudo tee ${strapdir}/.keep >/dev/null ## hack? XXX: bootstrap_tar_unpack couldn't see it
 	popd
 }