diff --git a/docker_assets/run.sh b/docker_assets/run.sh
index ca1fdd9c..d18267db 100644
--- a/docker_assets/run.sh
+++ b/docker_assets/run.sh
@@ -1,25 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # startup script inside the container for tubearchivist
 
+set -e
 
 # check environment
 python manage.py ta_envcheck
 python manage.py ta_connection
 
-# wait for elasticsearch
-# counter=0
-# until curl -u "$ELASTIC_USER":"$ELASTIC_PASSWORD" "$ES_URL" -fs; do
-#     echo "waiting for elastic search to start"
-#     counter=$((counter+1))
-#     if [[ $counter -eq 12 ]]; then
-#         # fail after 2 min
-#         echo "failed to connect to elastic search, exiting..."
-#         curl -v -u "$ELASTIC_USER":"$ELASTIC_PASSWORD" "$ES_URL"?pretty
-#         exit 1
-#     fi
-#     sleep 10
-# done
-
 # start python application
 python manage.py makemigrations
 python manage.py migrate
diff --git a/tubearchivist/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py b/tubearchivist/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
index 9c688210..15bb91b1 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/config/management/commands/ta_connection.py
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@ Functionality:
 - check that all connections are working
 """
 
-import sys
 from time import sleep
 
 import requests
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from home.src.es.connect import ElasticWrap
-
+from home.src.ta.ta_redis import RedisArchivist
 
 TOPIC = """
 
@@ -19,10 +18,13 @@ TOPIC = """
 
 """
 
+
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     """command framework"""
 
     TIMEOUT = 120
+    MIN_MAJOR, MAX_MAJOR = 8, 8
+    MIN_MINOR = 0
 
     # pylint: disable=no-member
     help = "Check connections"
@@ -30,28 +32,109 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         """run all commands"""
         self.stdout.write(TOPIC)
+        self._redis_connection_check()
+        self._redis_config_set()
         self._es_connection_check()
+        self._es_version_check()
+        self._es_path_check()
+
+    def _redis_connection_check(self):
+        """check ir redis connection is established"""
+        self.stdout.write("[1] connect to Redis")
+        redis_conn = RedisArchivist().conn
+        for _ in range(5):
+            sleep(2)
+            try:
+                pong = redis_conn.execute_command("PING")
+                if pong:
+                    self.stdout.write(
+                        self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ Redis connection verified")
+                    )
+                    return
+
+            except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                self.stdout.write("    ... retry Redis connection")
+
+        message = "    🗙 Redis connection failed"
+        self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(f"{message}"))
+        RedisArchivist().exec("PING")
+        raise CommandError(message)
+
+    def _redis_config_set(self):
+        """set config for redis if not set already"""
+        self.stdout.write("[2] set Redis config")
+        redis_conn = RedisArchivist().conn
+        timeout_is = int(redis_conn.config_get("timeout").get("timeout"))
+        if not timeout_is:
+            redis_conn.config_set("timeout", 3600)
+
+        self.stdout.write(self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ Redis config set"))
 
     def _es_connection_check(self):
         """wait for elasticsearch connection"""
-        self.stdout.write("[1] connect to Elastic Search")
-        sys.stdout.write("    .")
-        for _ in range(self.TIMEOUT // 5):
+        self.stdout.write("[3] connect to Elastic Search")
+        total = self.TIMEOUT // 5
+        for i in range(total):
             sleep(2)
-            sys.stdout.write(".")
+            self.stdout.write(f"    ... waiting for ES [{i}/{total}]")
             try:
-                response, status_code = ElasticWrap("/").get(
+                _, status_code = ElasticWrap("/").get(
                     timeout=1, print_error=False
                 )
             except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
-                pass
+                continue
 
-            if status_code == 200:
-                self.stdout.write("\n    ✓ ES connection established")
+            if status_code and status_code == 200:
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ ES connection established")
+                )
                 return
 
+        response, status_code = ElasticWrap("/").get(
+            timeout=1, print_error=False
+        )
+
         message = "    🗙 ES connection failed"
-        self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(f"\n{message}"))
-        self.stdout.write(f"    error message: {response | None}")
-        self.stdout.write(f"    status code: {status_code | None}")
+        self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(f"{message}"))
+        self.stdout.write(f"    error message: {response}")
+        self.stdout.write(f"    status code: {status_code}")
         raise CommandError(message)
+
+    def _es_version_check(self):
+        """check for minimal elasticsearch version"""
+        self.stdout.write("[4] Elastic Search version check")
+        response, _ = ElasticWrap("/").get()
+        version = response["version"]["number"]
+        major = int(version.split(".")[0])
+
+        if self.MIN_MAJOR <= major <= self.MAX_MAJOR:
+            self.stdout.write(
+                self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ ES version check passed")
+            )
+            return
+
+        message = (
+            "    🗙 ES connection failed. "
+            + f"Expected {self.MIN_MAJOR}.{self.MIN_MINOR} but got {version}"
+        )
+        self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(f"{message}"))
+        raise CommandError(message)
+
+    def _es_path_check(self):
+        """check that path.repo var is set"""
+        self.stdout.write("[5] check ES path.repo env var")
+        response, _ = ElasticWrap("_nodes/_all/settings").get()
+        for node in response["nodes"].values():
+            if node["settings"]["path"].get("repo"):
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    self.style.SUCCESS("    ✓ path.repo env var is set")
+                )
+                return
+
+            message = (
+                "    🗙 path.repo env var not found. "
+                + "set the following env var to the ES container:\n"
+                + "    path.repo=/usr/share/elasticsearch/data/snapshot"
+            )
+            self.stdout.write(self.style.ERROR(f"{message}"))
+            raise CommandError(message)