diff --git a/playbooks/group_vars/all/global.yml b/playbooks/group_vars/all/global.yml
index f3e6a00..2437b58 100644
--- a/playbooks/group_vars/all/global.yml
+++ b/playbooks/group_vars/all/global.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ run_cleanup: false
 run_prereqs: false
 setup_nested_virt: false
 setup_minishift: true
-start_minishift: false
+start_minishift: true
 setup_containers: true
 setup_helper_containers: true
 setup_pipelines: false
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/cleanup.yml b/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/cleanup.yml
index 4df93d6..a80a23b 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/cleanup.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/cleanup.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
     path: "{{ item }}"
     state: absent
   with_items:
-    - "{{ contra_env_setup_dir }}/{{ project_dir }}"
+    - "{{ project_dir }}"
   when:
     - pd_is_found.stat.exists
     - force_repo_clone|bool == true
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/main.yml
index 007e06e..9c12d4c 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/cleanup/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 ---
 # tasks file for cleanup
 
+- name: "Running cleanup pre-tasks {{ cleanup_pre_hooks }}"
+  include_tasks: "{{ item }}"
+  with_items: "{{ cleanup_pre_hooks }}"
+  when: cleanup_pre_hooks is defined
+
 - name: "Stop minishift if running"
-  import_tasks: cleanup.yml
\ No newline at end of file
+  import_tasks: cleanup.yml
+
+- name: "Running cleanup post-tasks {{ cleanup_post_hooks }}"
+  include_tasks: "{{ item }}"
+  with_items: "{{ cleanup_post_hooks }}"
+  when: cleanup_post_hooks is defined
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/create/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/create/tasks/main.yml
index a0ba360..d270413 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/create/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/create/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
 
 # Clone the project_repo and sample_project_repo
 - name: "Clone the project repo {{ project_repo }}"
-  import_tasks: clone_repos.yml
\ No newline at end of file
+  import_tasks: clone_repos.yml
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/init_minishift.yml b/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/init_minishift.yml
index 16557f5..759ef16 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/init_minishift.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/init_minishift.yml
@@ -18,13 +18,11 @@
   - name: "Wait for the cluster to come up completely"
     pause:
       minutes: 3
-    when: (cpu_mode_not_configured|bool) or
-          (start_minishift|bool == false)
+    when: (cpu_mode_not_configured|bool)
 
   - name: "Stop the minishift profile {{ profile }}"
     shell: "{{ minishift_bin }} stop --profile {{ profile }}"
-    when: (cpu_mode_not_configured|bool) or
-          (start_minishift|bool == false)
+    when: (cpu_mode_not_configured|bool)
 
   - name: "Update the minishift VM config"
     lineinfile:
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/main.yml
index 30acd8e..3e2af95 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/minishift/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 ---
 # setup minishift
 
+- name: "Running minishift pre-tasks {{ minishift_pre_hooks }}"
+  include_tasks: "{{ item }}"
+  with_items: "{{ minishift_pre_hooks }}"
+  when: minishift_pre_hooks is defined
+
 - fail:
     msg: 'setup_minishift cannot be true with a defined value for openshift_cluster_ip'
   when: openshift_cluster_ip != ""
@@ -74,9 +79,13 @@
   when: ((minishift_profile_status.stdout_lines and minishift_profile_status.stdout_lines[0]|lower == "does not exist") or
         (minishift_profile_status.rc != 0)) and (minishift_external_vm_ip == "")
 
-# Start minishift on an external VM if configured
+# Start minishift on an external VM if configured, then shut it down (if it was configured not to start, but we wanted the profile to exist)
 - name: "Initialization of minishift cluster with profile {{ profile }} on an existing VM ip {{ minishift_external_vm_ip }}"
   shell: "{{ minishift_bin }} start --profile {{ profile }} --openshift-version {{ oc_version }} --vm-driver generic --remote-ipaddress {{ minishift_external_vm_ip }} --remote-ssh-user {{ minishift_external_vm_user }} --remote-ssh-key {{ minishift_external_vm_ssh_key_location }}"
   when: ((minishift_profile_status.stdout_lines and minishift_profile_status.stdout_lines[0]|lower == "does not exist") or
-        (minishift_profile_status.rc != 0)) and (minishift_external_vm_ip != "")
+        (minishift_profile_status.rc != 0)) and (minishift_external_vm_ip != "") and (start_minishift|bool == true)
 
+- name: "Running minishift post-tasks {{ minishift_post_hooks }}"
+  include_tasks: "{{ item }}"
+  with_items: "{{ minishift_post_hooks }}"
+  when: minishift_post_hooks is defined