diff --git a/modules/utility/env.lib b/modules/utility/env.lib
index 2b42ccb..22e1e5a 100644
--- a/modules/utility/env.lib
+++ b/modules/utility/env.lib
@@ -78,15 +78,17 @@ testenv () {
 # https://www.baeldung.com/linux/envsubst-command
 # todo allow input file -o overwrite or to another file -f <name>
 env_subs_file () {
- local fin; local fenv; local useenv; local tout; local fout; local fenv; local tout2
+ local verbose; local fin; local fenv; local useenv; local tout; local fout; local fenv; local tout2
+ [[ $1 == "-v" ]] && verbose=true && shift 1
  [[ $1 == "-e" ]] && useenv=true && shift 1
  [[ $1 == "-o" ]] && { shift 1; fout=$1; }
  [[ $1 == "-f" ]] && { fout=$2; shift 2; }
  fin=$1; fenv=$2
 #  echo useenv $useenv, fout $fout, fin  $fin, fenv $fenv
+ if [[ $(cat $fin | grep -F "$") ]]; then 
  [[ ! $fin ]] && iecho "nothing was passed to merge with environment" && return 1
- [[ ! -f "$fin" ]] && iecho "file $fin does not exit nothing to merge with environment" && return 1
- [[ ! $(cat $fin | grep -F "$") ]] && iecho "no variables in $fin to merge" && return 2
+ [[ ! -f "$fin" ]] && iecho "file $fin does not exist nothing to merge with environment" && return 1
+
  tout=/tmp/${USER}-mergedenvfile
  if [[ $useenv ]] && [[ -f $fenv ]]; then 
   tout2=/tmp/${USER}-mergedenvfile2
@@ -100,6 +102,10 @@ env_subs_file () {
  fi > $tout
  [[ -f $tout2 ]] && rm -f  $tout2
  [[ $fout ]] && mv -f $tout $fout || { echo merged; cat "$tout"; }
+ else
+  [[ $verbose ]] && echo "environment variable substition, no variables in $fin to merge"
+ fi 
+
 #  env | grep BASE
 # #  unset_env_file $2
 }
\ No newline at end of file