diff --git a/data/templates/cisco-poap.py b/data/templates/cisco-poap.py
index 99afa41..ec086ac 100644
--- a/data/templates/cisco-poap.py
+++ b/data/templates/cisco-poap.py
@@ -1,27 +1,86 @@
+#!/bin/env python
 # Copyright 2016, EMC, Inc.
+# Note, the following checksum currently has to be hand generated and done
+# AFTER the profile has been rendered with the switchProfileUri value until
+# RackHD can taught to handle this kind of render-chain.
+# f=cisco-poap.py ; cat $f | sed '/^#md5sum/d' > $f.md5 ; sed -i "s/^#md5sum=.*/#md5sum=\"$(md5sum $f.md5 | sed 's/ .*//')\"/" $f
 
 import urllib2
 import json
 import imp
 import traceback
 import sys
+import cisco
+import time
 
-def download_cisco_script():
+# Python module names vary depending on nxos version
+try:
+    from cli import cli
+except:
+    from cisco import cli
+
+def download_cisco_script(context):
     # Add switch vendor string as the last URI element as a hint to the
     # HTTP API server
+    poap_log("Downloading script <%=switchProfileUri%>/cisco - vrf %s" % context)
+    cisco.vrf.set_global_vrf(context)
     script = urllib2.urlopen('<%=switchProfileUri%>/cisco').read()
+    poap_log("Opening script rackhd_cisco_script.py")
+    poap_log(script)
     with open('rackhd_cisco_script.py', 'w') as rackhd_cisco_script:
         rackhd_cisco_script.write(script)
 
+def poap_log (info):
+    poap_log_file.write("cisco-poap.py:")
+    poap_log_file.write(info)
+    poap_log_file.write("\n")
+    poap_log_file.flush()
+    print "poap_py_log:" + info
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+
+def poap_log_close ():
+    poap_log_file.close()
+
+def abort_cleanup_exit () :
+    poap_log("INFO: cleaning up")
+    poap_log_close()
+    exit(-1)
+
+# open a clean copy of the log only when this script runs. all other scripts will append to the log.
+log_filename = "/bootflash/poap.log"
+poap_log_file = open(log_filename, "w+")
+
+good_context = ''
+
+try:
+    # We are going to try downloading from two different vrf contexts
+    download_cisco_script('management')
+    good_context = 'management'
+except Exception as e:
+    poap_log("download script failed with error %s" % type(e).__name__)
+    try:
+        download_cisco_script('default')
+        good_context = 'default'
+    except Exception as e:
+        # We cannot communicate with the server so no sense trying
+        # to send back an error message
+        poap_log("Failed downloading with both managmenet and default vrf")
+        raise e
+
 try:
-    download_cisco_script()
+    poap_log("Executing script rackhd_cisco_script.py")
     execfile('./rackhd_cisco_script.py')
 except SystemExit as e:
     sys.exit(e)
-except:
+except Exception as e:
     data = json.dumps({"error": traceback.format_exc()})
-    req = urllib2.Request('<%=switchProfileErrorUri%>', data, {"Content-Type": "application/json"})
+    cisco.vrf.set_global_vrf(good_context)
+    req = urllib2.Request('<%=switchProfileErrorUri%>',
+                          data, {"Content-Type": "application/json"})
     urllib2.urlopen(req)
     # Don't swallow exceptions otherwise the Cisco switch will think the POAP was a success
     # and proceed to boot rather than retrying
-    raise error
+    raise e
+
+poap_log_close()
+