diff --git a/cmd_linux.sh b/cmd_linux.sh
index 0a4ef62..1685050 100755
--- a/cmd_linux.sh
+++ b/cmd_linux.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
+
 # config
 CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX="$(pwd)/installer_files/conda"
 INSTALL_ENV_DIR="$(pwd)/installer_files/env"
diff --git a/cmd_macos.sh b/cmd_macos.sh
index 0cec16e..1b052e5 100755
--- a/cmd_macos.sh
+++ b/cmd_macos.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
-# deactivate existing env if needed
-conda deactivate 2> /dev/null
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
 
 # config
 CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX="$(pwd)/installer_files/conda"
diff --git a/cmd_windows.bat b/cmd_windows.bat
index 606ff48..b219cf6 100755
--- a/cmd_windows.bat
+++ b/cmd_windows.bat
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ echo "%CD%"| findstr /C:" " >nul && echo This script relies on Miniconda which c
 set TMP=%cd%\installer_files
 set TEMP=%cd%\installer_files
 
+@rem deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+(conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate) 2>null
+
 @rem config
 set CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX=%cd%\installer_files\conda
 set INSTALL_ENV_DIR=%cd%\installer_files\env
diff --git a/start_linux.sh b/start_linux.sh
index dc37f61..1de8ccd 100755
--- a/start_linux.sh
+++ b/start_linux.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
+
 OS_ARCH=$(uname -m)
 case "${OS_ARCH}" in
     x86_64*)    OS_ARCH="x86_64";;
diff --git a/start_macos.sh b/start_macos.sh
index a813edb..131a8af 100755
--- a/start_macos.sh
+++ b/start_macos.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
+
 # M Series or Intel
 OS_ARCH=$(uname -m)
 case "${OS_ARCH}" in
diff --git a/start_windows.bat b/start_windows.bat
index 4f5b0ba..3140f70 100755
--- a/start_windows.bat
+++ b/start_windows.bat
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ set SPCHARMESSAGE=
 set TMP=%cd%\installer_files
 set TEMP=%cd%\installer_files
 
+@rem deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+(conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate) 2>null
+
 @rem config
 set INSTALL_DIR=%cd%\installer_files
 set CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX=%cd%\installer_files\conda
diff --git a/update_linux.sh b/update_linux.sh
index f7be844..e641faf 100755
--- a/update_linux.sh
+++ b/update_linux.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
+
 # config
 CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX="$(pwd)/installer_files/conda"
 INSTALL_ENV_DIR="$(pwd)/installer_files/env"
diff --git a/update_macos.sh b/update_macos.sh
index f7be844..e641faf 100755
--- a/update_macos.sh
+++ b/update_macos.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
 if [[ "$(pwd)" =~ " " ]]; then echo This script relies on Miniconda which can not be silently installed under a path with spaces. && exit; fi
 
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
+
 # config
 CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX="$(pwd)/installer_files/conda"
 INSTALL_ENV_DIR="$(pwd)/installer_files/env"
diff --git a/update_windows.bat b/update_windows.bat
index a44e218..6f01ee0 100755
--- a/update_windows.bat
+++ b/update_windows.bat
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ echo "%CD%"| findstr /C:" " >nul && echo This script relies on Miniconda which c
 set TMP=%cd%\installer_files
 set TEMP=%cd%\installer_files
 
+@rem deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+(conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate) 2>null
+
 @rem config
 set CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX=%cd%\installer_files\conda
 set INSTALL_ENV_DIR=%cd%\installer_files\env
diff --git a/webui.py b/webui.py
index 8707e7f..d5071c8 100644
--- a/webui.py
+++ b/webui.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import argparse
 import glob
 import os
 import subprocess
+import site
 import sys
 
 script_dir = os.getcwd()
@@ -77,6 +78,16 @@ def clear_cache():
     run_cmd("conda clean -a -y", environment=True)
     run_cmd("python -m pip cache purge", environment=True)
 
+def is_installed():
+    for sitedir in site.getsitepackages():
+        if "site-packages" in sitedir and conda_env_path in sitedir:
+            site_packages_path = sitedir
+            break
+
+    if site_packages_path:
+        return os.path.isfile(os.path.join(site_packages_path, 'torch', '__init__.py'))
+    else:
+        return os.path.isdir(conda_env_path)
 
 def install_dependencies():
     # Select your GPU or, choose to run in CPU mode
@@ -117,7 +128,12 @@ def install_dependencies():
 
 
 def update_dependencies(initial_installation=False):
-    # run_cmd("git pull", assert_success=True, environment=True)  # TODO uncomment before merging (is there a better way?)
+    # Create .git directory if missing
+    if not os.path.isdir(os.path.join(script_dir, ".git")):
+        git_creation_cmd = 'git init -b main && git remote add origin https://github.com/oobabooga/text-generation-webui && git fetch && git remote set-head origin -a && git reset origin/HEAD && git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/HEAD'
+        run_cmd(git_creation_cmd, environment=True, assert_success=True)
+    
+    run_cmd("git pull --autostash", assert_success=True, environment=True)  # TODO is there a better way?
 
     # Install the extensions dependencies (only on the first install)
     if initial_installation:
@@ -230,13 +246,12 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         update_dependencies()
     else:
         # If webui has already been installed, skip and run
-        # if not os.path.exists("text-generation-webui/"):
-        if True:  # TODO implement a new installation check
+        if not is_installed():
             install_dependencies()
             os.chdir(script_dir)
 
         # Check if a model has been downloaded yet
-        if len([item for item in glob.glob('text-generation-webui/models/*') if not item.endswith(('.txt', '.yaml'))]) == 0:
+        if len([item for item in glob.glob('models/*') if not item.endswith(('.txt', '.yaml'))]) == 0:
             print_big_message("WARNING: You haven't downloaded any model yet.\nOnce the web UI launches, head over to the \"Model\" tab and download one.")
 
         # Workaround for llama-cpp-python loading paths in CUDA env vars even if they do not exist
diff --git a/wsl.sh b/wsl.sh
index 50b8d77..6660bc2 100755
--- a/wsl.sh
+++ b/wsl.sh
@@ -15,11 +15,15 @@ read -n1 -p "Continue the installer anyway? [y,n]" EXIT_PROMPT
 if ! [[ $EXIT_PROMPT == "Y" || $EXIT_PROMPT == "y" ]]; then exit; fi
 fi
 
-# deactivate any currently active conda env
-conda deactivate 2> /dev/null
+# deactivate existing conda envs as needed to avoid conflicts
+{ conda deactivate && conda deactivate && conda deactivate; } 2> /dev/null
 
 # config   unlike other scripts, can't use current directory due to file IO bug in WSL, needs to be in virtual drive
-INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/text-gen-install"
+INSTALL_DIR_PREFIX="$HOME/text-gen-install"
+if [[ ! $(realpath "$(pwd)/..") = /mnt/* ]]; then
+    INSTALL_DIR_PREFIX="$(realpath "$(pwd)/..")" && INSTALL_INPLACE=1
+fi
+INSTALL_DIR="$INSTALL_DIR_PREFIX/text-generation-webui"
 CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX="$INSTALL_DIR/installer_files/conda"
 INSTALL_ENV_DIR="$INSTALL_DIR/installer_files/env"
 MINICONDA_DOWNLOAD_URL="https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-py310_23.3.1-0-Linux-x86_64.sh"
@@ -66,11 +70,9 @@ if [ "$conda_exists" == "F" ]; then
     "$CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX/bin/conda" --version
 fi
 
-cd $INSTALL_DIR
-
 # create the installer env
 if [ ! -e "$INSTALL_ENV_DIR" ]; then
-    "$CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX/bin/conda" create -y -k --prefix "$INSTALL_ENV_DIR" python=3.10
+    "$CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX/bin/conda" create -y -k --prefix "$INSTALL_ENV_DIR" python=3.10 git
 fi
 
 # check if conda environment was actually created
@@ -83,6 +85,24 @@ fi
 source "$CONDA_ROOT_PREFIX/etc/profile.d/conda.sh" # otherwise conda complains about 'shell not initialized' (needed when running in a script)
 conda activate "$INSTALL_ENV_DIR"
 
+# copy webui.py and CMD_FLAGS.txt to install dir to allow edits within Windows
+if [[ $INSTALL_INPLACE != 1 ]]; then
+    cp -u "./webui.py" "$INSTALL_DIR"
+    if [ -f "./CMD_FLAGS.txt" ]; then cp -u "./CMD_FLAGS.txt" "$INSTALL_DIR"; fi
+fi
+
+cd $INSTALL_DIR
+
+if [ ! -f "./server.py" ]; then
+    git init -b main
+    git remote add origin https://github.com/oobabooga/text-generation-webui
+    git fetch
+    git remote set-head origin -a
+    git reset origin/HEAD --hard
+    git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/HEAD
+    git restore -- . :!./webui.py :!./CMD_FLAGS.txt
+fi
+
 # setup installer env   update env if called with 'wsl.sh update'
 case "$1" in
 ("update") python webui.py --update;;