diff --git a/install_gradle.sh b/install_gradle.sh
index 6fbc104d..cb4aa861 100755
--- a/install_gradle.sh
+++ b/install_gradle.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ echo "==========================================================================
 echo "                           G r a d l e   I n s t a l l"
 echo "================================================================================"
 
-GRADLE_VERSION=${GRADLE_VERSION:-2.14.1}
+GRADLE_VERSION=${1:-${GRADLE_VERSION:-2.14.1}}
 
 BASE=/opt
 
diff --git a/install_groovy.sh b/install_groovy.sh
index 35b13182..3cac2f3f 100755
--- a/install_groovy.sh
+++ b/install_groovy.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ echo "==========================================================================
 echo "                           G r o o v y   I n s t a l l"
 echo "================================================================================"
 
-GROOVY_VERSION=${GROOVY_VERSION:-2.4.7}
+GROOVY_VERSION=${1:-${GROOVY_VERSION:-2.4.7}}
 
 BASE=/opt
 
diff --git a/install_maven.sh b/install_maven.sh
index fdb4c4d9..8a476b28 100755
--- a/install_maven.sh
+++ b/install_maven.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ echo "==========================================================================
 echo "                           M a v e n   I n s t a l l"
 echo "================================================================================"
 
-MAVEN_VERSION=${MAVEN_VERSION:-3.3.9}
+MAVEN_VERSION=${1:-${MAVEN_VERSION:-3.3.9}}
 
 BASE=/opt
 
diff --git a/install_sbt.sh b/install_sbt.sh
index f0846ce4..734dbea3 100755
--- a/install_sbt.sh
+++ b/install_sbt.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ echo "==========================================================================
 echo "                              S B T   I n s t a l l"
 echo "================================================================================"
 
-SBT_VERSION=${SBT_VERSION:-0.13.12}
+SBT_VERSION=${1:${SBT_VERSION:-0.13.12}}
 
 BASE=/opt
 
diff --git a/utils.sh b/utils.sh
index fb63dedb..41acd689 100755
--- a/utils.sh
+++ b/utils.sh
@@ -278,6 +278,16 @@ when_ports_available(){
     local host="$2"
     local ports="${@:3}"
     local retry_interval=1
+    if [ -z "$max_secs" ]; then
+        echo 'when_ports_available: max_secs $1 not set'
+        exit 1
+    elif [ -z "$host" ]; then
+        echo 'when_ports_available: host $2 not set'
+        exit 1
+    elif [ -z "$ports" ]; then
+        echo 'when_ports_available: ports $3 not set'
+        exit 1
+    fi
     local max_tries=$(($max_secs / $retry_interval))
     # Linux nc doens't have -z switch like Mac OSX version
     local nc_cmd="nc -vw $retry_interval $host <<< ''"
@@ -291,8 +301,8 @@ when_ports_available(){
     echo "cmd: ${cmd// \&\>\/dev\/null}"
     local found=0
     if which nc &>/dev/null; then
-        for((i=0; i < $max_tries; i++)); do
-            timestamp "trying host '$host' port(s) '$ports'"
+        for((i=1; i <= $max_tries; i++)); do
+            timestamp "$i trying host '$host' port(s) '$ports'"
             if eval $cmd; then
                 found=1
                 break
@@ -310,5 +320,33 @@ when_ports_available(){
     fi
 }
 
+when_url_content(){
+    local max_secs="$1"
+    local url="$2"
+    local expected_regex="$3"
+    local retry_interval=1
+    if [ -z "$max_secs" ]; then
+        echo 'when_url_content: max_secs $1 not set'
+        exit 1
+    elif [ -z "$url" ]; then
+        echo 'when_url_content: url $2 not set'
+        exit 1
+    elif [ -z "$expected_regex" ]; then
+        echo 'when_url_content: expected content $3 not set'
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    local max_tries=$(($max_secs / $retry_interval))
+    echo "waiting up to $max_secs secs for HTTP interface to come up with expected regex content"
+    for((i=1; i <= $max_tries; i++)); do
+        timestamp "$i trying $url"
+        if curl -s "$url" | grep -q "$expected_regex"; then
+            echo "URL content detected"
+            return
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    echo 'URL content still not detected, giving up!'
+}
+
 # restore original srcdir
 srcdir="$srcdir_bash_tools_utils"