diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 03ecdea4..001a4cbe 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ RUN easy-add --var os=${TARGETOS} --var arch=${TARGETARCH}${TARGETVARIANT} \
  --var version=0.1.1 --var app=maven-metadata-release --file {{.app}} \
  --from https://github.com/itzg/{{.app}}/releases/download/{{.version}}/{{.app}}_{{.version}}_{{.os}}_{{.arch}}.tar.gz
 
-ARG MC_HELPER_VERSION=1.5.2
+ARG MC_HELPER_VERSION=1.6.1
 RUN curl -fsSL https://github.com/itzg/mc-image-helper/releases/download/v${MC_HELPER_VERSION}/mc-image-helper-${MC_HELPER_VERSION}.tgz \
     | tar -C /usr/share -zxf - \
     && ln -s /usr/share/mc-image-helper-${MC_HELPER_VERSION}/bin/mc-image-helper /usr/bin
diff --git a/start-configuration b/start-configuration
index 40521fd6..fbff2a00 100755
--- a/start-configuration
+++ b/start-configuration
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 IFS=$'\n\t'
 
+# shellcheck source=start-utils
 . ${SCRIPTS:-/}start-utils
 
-: ${EULA:=}
-: ${PROXY:=}
-: ${RCON_PASSWORD_FILE:=}
+: "${EULA:=}"
+: "${PROXY:=}"
+: "${RCON_PASSWORD_FILE:=}"
 
 shopt -s nullglob
 
+isDebugging && set -x
+
 #umask 002
 export HOME=/data
 
@@ -63,10 +66,16 @@ export VERSIONS_JSON=https://launchermeta.mojang.com/mc/game/version_manifest.js
 
 case "X$VERSION" in
   X|XLATEST|Xlatest)
-    VANILLA_VERSION=$(curl -fsSL $VERSIONS_JSON | jq -r '.latest.release')
+    if ! VANILLA_VERSION=$(get --json-path '$.latest.release' "$VERSIONS_JSON"); then
+      log "ERROR: version lookup failed: $VANILLA_VERSION"
+      exit 1
+    fi
   ;;
   XSNAPSHOT|Xsnapshot)
-    VANILLA_VERSION=$(curl -fsSL $VERSIONS_JSON | jq -r '.latest.snapshot')
+    if ! VANILLA_VERSION=$(get --json-path '$.latest.snapshot' "$VERSIONS_JSON"); then
+      log "ERROR: version lookup failed: $VANILLA_VERSION"
+      exit 1
+    fi
   ;;
   *)
     VANILLA_VERSION=$VERSION
@@ -122,7 +131,7 @@ case "${TYPE^^}" in
   ;;
 
   VANILLA)
-    exec ${SCRIPTS:-/}start-deployVanilla "$@"
+    exec "${SCRIPTS:-/}start-deployVanilla" "$@"
   ;;
 
   SPONGEVANILLA)
diff --git a/start-deployVanilla b/start-deployVanilla
index 93582889..0b618800 100755
--- a/start-deployVanilla
+++ b/start-deployVanilla
@@ -1,41 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-. ${SCRIPTS:-/}start-utils
+# shellcheck source=start-utils
+. "${SCRIPTS:-/}start-utils"
 isDebugging && set -x
 set -o pipefail
 
 export SERVER="minecraft_server.${VANILLA_VERSION// /_}.jar"
 
-if [ ! -e $SERVER ] || [ -n "$FORCE_REDOWNLOAD" ]; then
+if [ ! -e "$SERVER" ] || [ -n "$FORCE_REDOWNLOAD" ]; then
   log "Downloading $SERVER ..."
   debug "Finding version manifest for $VANILLA_VERSION"
-  versionManifestUrl=$(curl -fsSL 'https://launchermeta.mojang.com/mc/game/version_manifest.json' | jq --arg VANILLA_VERSION "$VANILLA_VERSION" --raw-output '[.versions[]|select(.id == $VANILLA_VERSION)][0].url')
+  versionManifestUrl=$(get 'https://launchermeta.mojang.com/mc/game/version_manifest.json' | jq --arg VANILLA_VERSION "$VANILLA_VERSION" --raw-output '[.versions[]|select(.id == $VANILLA_VERSION)][0].url')
   result=$?
   if [ $result != 0 ]; then
     log "ERROR failed to obtain version manifest URL ($result)"
     exit 1
   fi
-  if [ $versionManifestUrl = "null" ]; then
+  if [ "$versionManifestUrl" = "null" ]; then
     log "ERROR couldn't find a matching manifest entry for $VANILLA_VERSION"
     exit 1
   fi
   debug "Found version manifest at $versionManifestUrl"
 
-  serverDownloadUrl=$(curl -fsSL ${versionManifestUrl} | jq --raw-output '.downloads.server.url')
+  serverDownloadUrl=$(get --json-path '$.downloads.server.url' "${versionManifestUrl}")
   result=$?
   if [ $result != 0 ]; then
     log "ERROR failed to obtain version manifest from $versionManifestUrl ($result)"
     exit 1
-  elif [ $serverDownloadUrl = null ]; then
+  elif [ "$serverDownloadUrl" = "null" ]; then
     log "ERROR version $VANILLA_VERSION does not provide a server download"
     exit 1
   fi
 
   debug "Downloading server from $serverDownloadUrl"
-  if isDebugging; then
-    verbose=-v
-  fi
-  curl $verbose -fsSL -o $SERVER $serverDownloadUrl
+  get -o "$SERVER" "$serverDownloadUrl"
   result=$?
   if [ $result != 0 ]; then
     log "ERROR failed to download server from $serverDownloadUrl ($result)"
@@ -45,4 +43,4 @@ fi
 
 isDebugging && ls -l
 
-exec ${SCRIPTS:-/}start-setupWorld $@
+exec "${SCRIPTS:-/}start-setupWorld" "$@"
diff --git a/start-utils b/start-utils
index 9e1cdd6c..497a4257 100755
--- a/start-utils
+++ b/start-utils
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ function removeOldMods {
 
 function get() {
   local flags=()
-  if isDebugging; then
+  if isTrue "${DEBUG_GET:-false}"; then
     flags+=("--debug")
   fi
   mc-image-helper "${flags[@]}" get "$@"