diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a32f228
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+include *.md
+include *.rst
+
+recursive-include messkit/templates *.mako
diff --git a/messkit/commands.py b/messkit/commands.py
index dea2d17..3d165e8 100644
--- a/messkit/commands.py
+++ b/messkit/commands.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Messkit commands
 """
 
 import os
+import stat
 import sys
 import subprocess
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ from rich import print as rprint
 from alembic.util.messaging import obfuscate_url_pw
 
 from rattail import commands
+from rattail.files import resource_path
 
 from messkit import __version__
 
@@ -71,11 +73,13 @@ class Install(commands.Subcommand):
         rprint("\n\tThis tool will install and configure a new app.")
         rprint("\n\t[italic]NB. You should already have created a new database in PostgreSQL.[/italic]")
 
-        # get appdir path
-        appdir = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'app')
-        appdir = self.basic_prompt('appdir path', appdir)
+        # continue?
+        if not self.basic_prompt("continue?", True, is_bool=True):
+            rprint()
+            sys.exit(0)
 
         # appdir must not yet exist
+        appdir = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'app')
         if os.path.exists(appdir):
             rprint("\n\t[bold red]appdir already exists:[/bold red]  {}\n".format(appdir))
             sys.exit(1)
@@ -106,8 +110,9 @@ class Install(commands.Subcommand):
         # make the appdir
         self.app.make_appdir(appdir)
 
-        # make config files
+        # shared context for generated app files
         context = {
+            'envdir': sys.prefix,
             'app_package': 'messkit',
             'app_title': "Messkit",
             'appdir': appdir,
@@ -115,14 +120,28 @@ class Install(commands.Subcommand):
             'pyramid_egg': 'Messkit',
             'beaker_key': 'messkit',
         }
+
+        # make config files
         rattail_conf = self.app.make_config_file(
-            'rattail-complete', os.path.join(appdir, 'rattail.conf'),
+            'rattail', os.path.join(appdir, 'rattail.conf'),
+            template_path=resource_path('messkit:templates/installer/rattail.conf.mako'),
             **context)
         quiet_conf = self.app.make_config_file('quiet', appdir)
         web_conf = self.app.make_config_file(
             'web-complete', os.path.join(appdir, 'web.conf'),
             **context)
 
+        # make upgrade script
+        path = os.path.join(appdir, 'upgrade.sh')
+        self.app.render_mako_template(
+            resource_path('messkit:templates/installer/upgrade.sh.mako'),
+            context, output_path=path)
+        os.chmod(path, stat.S_IRWXU
+                 | stat.S_IRGRP
+                 | stat.S_IXGRP
+                 | stat.S_IROTH
+                 | stat.S_IXOTH)
+
         rprint("\n\tappdir created at:  [bold green]{}[/bold green]".format(appdir))
 
         bindir = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'bin')
diff --git a/messkit/templates/installer/rattail.conf.mako b/messkit/templates/installer/rattail.conf.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a2a617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/messkit/templates/installer/rattail.conf.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+## -*- mode: conf; -*-
+
+<%text>############################################################</%text>
+#
+# ${app_title} core config
+#
+<%text>############################################################</%text>
+
+
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+# rattail
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+
+[rattail]
+app_package = ${app_package}
+timezone.default = ${timezone}
+appdir = ${appdir}
+datadir = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'data')}
+batch.files = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'data', 'batch')}
+workdir = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'work')}
+export.files = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'data', 'exports')}
+
+[rattail.config]
+# require = /etc/rattail/rattail.conf
+configure_logging = true
+usedb = true
+preferdb = true
+
+[rattail.db]
+default.url = ${db_url}
+versioning.enabled = true
+
+[rattail.mail]
+
+# this is the global email shutoff switch
+#send_emails = false
+
+# recommended setup is to always talk to postfix on localhost and then
+# it can handle any need complexities, e.g. sending to relay
+smtp.server = localhost
+
+# by default only email templates from rattail proper are used
+templates = rattail:templates/mail
+
+# this is the "default" email profile, from which all others initially
+# inherit, but most/all profiles will override these values
+default.prefix = [${app_title}]
+default.from = rattail@localhost
+default.to = root@localhost
+# nb. in test environment it can be useful to disable by default, and
+# then selectively enable certain (e.g. feedback, upgrade) emails
+#default.enabled = false
+
+[rattail.upgrades]
+command = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'upgrade.sh')} --verbose
+files = ${os.path.join(appdir, 'data', 'upgrades')}
+
+
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+# alembic
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+
+[alembic]
+script_location = rattail.db:alembic
+version_locations = rattail.db:alembic/versions
+
+
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+# logging
+<%text>##############################</%text>
+
+[loggers]
+keys = root, exc_logger, beaker, txn, sqlalchemy, django_db, flufl_bounce, requests
+
+[handlers]
+keys = file, console, email
+
+[formatters]
+keys = generic, console
+
+[logger_root]
+handlers = file, console
+level = DEBUG
+
+[logger_exc_logger]
+qualname = exc_logger
+handlers = email
+level = ERROR
+
+[logger_beaker]
+qualname = beaker
+handlers =
+level = INFO
+
+[logger_txn]
+qualname = txn
+handlers =
+level = INFO
+
+[logger_sqlalchemy]
+qualname = sqlalchemy.engine
+handlers =
+# handlers = file
+# level = INFO
+
+[logger_django_db]
+qualname = django.db.backends
+handlers =
+level = INFO
+# level = DEBUG
+
+[logger_flufl_bounce]
+qualname = flufl.bounce
+handlers =
+level = WARNING
+
+[logger_requests]
+qualname = requests
+handlers =
+# level = WARNING
+
+[handler_file]
+class = handlers.RotatingFileHandler
+args = (${repr(os.path.join(appdir, 'log', 'rattail.log'))}, 'a', 1000000, 100, 'utf_8')
+formatter = generic
+
+[handler_console]
+class = StreamHandler
+args = (sys.stderr,)
+formatter = console
+# formatter = generic
+# level = INFO
+# level = WARNING
+
+[handler_email]
+class = handlers.SMTPHandler
+args = ('localhost', 'rattail@localhost', ['root@localhost'], "[Rattail] Logging")
+formatter = generic
+level = ERROR
+
+[formatter_generic]
+format = %(asctime)s %(levelname)-5.5s [%(name)s][%(threadName)s] %(funcName)s: %(message)s
+datefmt = %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S
+
+[formatter_console]
+format = %(levelname)-5.5s [%(name)s][%(threadName)s] %(funcName)s: %(message)s
diff --git a/messkit/templates/installer/upgrade.sh.mako b/messkit/templates/installer/upgrade.sh.mako
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..29ff792
--- /dev/null
+++ b/messkit/templates/installer/upgrade.sh.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+<%text>##################################################</%text>
+#
+# upgrade script for ${app_title} app
+#
+<%text>##################################################</%text>
+
+if [ "$1" = "--verbose" ]; then
+    VERBOSE='--verbose'
+    QUIET=
+else
+    VERBOSE=
+    QUIET='--quiet'
+fi
+
+cd ${envdir}
+
+PIP='bin/pip'
+ALEMBIC='bin/alembic'
+
+# upgrade pip and friends
+$PIP install $QUIET --disable-pip-version-check --upgrade pip
+$PIP install $QUIET --upgrade setuptools wheel
+
+# upgrade app proper
+$PIP install $QUIET --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager Messkit
+
+# migrate schema
+$ALEMBIC -c app/rattail.conf upgrade heads