diff --git a/start-all b/start-all
index 0b93585..b6f8991 100755
--- a/start-all
+++ b/start-all
@@ -1,13 +1,35 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 die() { echo >&2 "$@" ; exit 1 ; }
 
+which jq > /dev/null || die "jq not installed?"
+which docker-compose > /dev/null || die "docker-compose not installed?"
+
 source ./env.production || die "no production env?"
 
 if [ -z "$DOMAIN_NAME" ]; then
 	die "\$DOMAIN_NAME not set; things will break"
 fi
 
-for service in keycloak nginx hedgedoc nextcloud mastodon grafana matrix ; do
+SERVICES=nginx # there is no host
+SERVICES+=\ keycloak
+SERVICES+=\ hedgedoc
+SERVICES+=\ nextcloud
+SERVICES+=\ mastodon
+SERVICES+=\ grafana
+SERVICES+=\ matrix
+
+HOSTS+=\ $KEYCLOAK_HOST
+HOSTS+=\ $HEDGEDOC_HOST
+HOSTS+=\ $NEXTCLOUD_HOST
+HOSTS+=\ $MASTODON_HOST
+HOSTS+=\ $GRAFANA_HOST
+HOSTS+=\ $MATRIX_HOST
+
+for host in $HOSTS ; do
+	host $host > /dev/null || die "$host: DNS entry not present?"
+done
+
+for service in $SERVICES ; do
 	echo "$service: starting"
 	./$service/setup || die "$server: failed to start"
 done