diff --git a/plugins/dot-env/README.md b/plugins/dot-env/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff858d471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/dot-env/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# dot-env for oh-my-zsh
+
+Adds 2 main features to oh-my-zsh:
+
+1. Ability to customize and maintain your oh-my-zsh environments based on global preferences, machine OS type (Darwin, Linux, Solaris), and hostname
+1. Ability to cascade the customizations in hierarchical fashion from global, to os type, to specific hostname
+
+## Example
+
+Let's say you work on a Macbook Pro with a hostname "John-Smiths-Macbook-Pro", but you also frequently work on the following different remote machines over SSH:
+
+* rx23 - An Ubuntu 10.04 LTS box
+* zebra - An Ubuntu 11.04 box
+* sol-15 - A Solaris box
+* technozero - A BSD box
+* express - A CentOS box
+
+You already know, if you work on different remote machines, when you login the first time none of your aliases, shell functions or environment settings are there.  What dot-env does is allow you to maintain a hierarchy of oh-my-zsh environment settings from global, down to specific host and to easily propagate those environments to each remote box from your local machine.
+
+So we can have a local hierarchy of settings like this:
+
+    root
+    +- .oh-my-zsh
+       +- plugins
+          +- dot-env
+             +- global
+                +- global_aliases.sh
+                +- global_functions.sh
+                +- other_global_files.sh
+             +- os
+                +- Darwin
+                   +- darwin_specific_aliases.sh
+                   +- darwin_specific_functions.sh
+                   +- etc.sh
+                +- Linux
+                +- SunOS
+             +- host
+                +- rx23
+                   +- rx23_specific_aliases.sh
+                   +- rx23_specific_functions.sh
+                   +- etc.sh
+                +- John-Smiths-Macbook-Pro.local
+                   +- local_specific_aliases.sh
+                   +- local_specific_functions.sh
+                   +- local_etc.sh
+               +- etc...
+
+This hierarchy gets loaded in a cascading fashion as follows:
+
+- If you login to rx23:
+    1. dot-env-plugin.zsh
+    1. global/*.sh
+    1. os/Linux/*.sh
+    1. host/rx23/*.sh
+- If you login to John-Smiths-Macbook-Pro
+    1. dot-env-plugin.zsh
+    1. global/*.sh
+    1. os/Darwin/*.sh
+    1. host/John-Smiths-Macbook-Pro.local/*.sh
+
+There are some helpful functions to maintain things:
+
+    config_omzs_for_this_host # stubs out a hierarchy for the current host that you can edit to taste
+
+    config_omzs_for_host      # stubs out a hierarchy for a specified remote hostname
+
+    propagate_omzs_to_host    # copies your ~/.oh-my-zsh directory to a remote host
+
+    load_omzs_on_alias        # run this on a remote host to setup an alias 'omzs' to load oh-my-zsh
+
+    load_omzs_on_login        # run this on a remote host to have it automatically source oh-my-zsh on login
+
+* `config_omzs_for_this_host` - no arguments, just creates a directory structure for your local machine and stubs out a few .sh files
+
+* `config_omzs_for_host` - "Usage: config_omzs_for_host HOSTNAME" - creates a directory structure for your remote machine and stubs out a few .sh files
+
+* The `load_omzs_on_alias` function is nice if others also use that account and you don't want to force them to use your oh-my-zsh settings.
+
+* `propagate_omzs_to_host` - "Usage: propagate_omzs_to_host [user@]HOSTNAME" - compresses your `~/.oh-my-zsh` directory, uploads it to the specified host account, decompresses it and reminds you to run one of `load_omzs_on_alias` or `load_omzs_on_login`
+
diff --git a/plugins/dot-env/global/global_functions.sh b/plugins/dot-env/global/global_functions.sh
index 5baae3549..f21867213 100644
--- a/plugins/dot-env/global/global_functions.sh
+++ b/plugins/dot-env/global/global_functions.sh
@@ -1,86 +1,85 @@
-# Add your public SSH key to a remote host
-function add_ssh_key_to_host {
-	if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
-		echo_warn "Usage: add_ssh_key_to_host [user@]HOSTNAME"
-		return
-	fi
-	if [[ -r ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub ]]; then
-		cat ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub | ssh $1 "cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys"
-	elif [[ -r ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub ]]; then
-		cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh $1 "cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys"
+function load_omzs_on_login {
+	profile_file="$HOME/.zshrc"
+	if [[ -f "${profile_file}" ]] &&
+	  ! grep '$ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh' "$profile_file" >/dev/null 2>&1
+	then
+	  echo '[[ -r $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh ]] && . $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh' >> "$profile_file"
+		echo "- oh-my-zsh will now load on login."
+	else
+		echo "- oh-my-zsh is already setup to load on login."
 	fi
+  return 0
 }
 
-# Propagate your entire environment system to a remote host
-function propagate_env_to_host {
+function load_omzs_on_alias {
+	profile_file="$HOME/.zshrc"
+	if [[ -f "${profile_file}" ]] &&
+	  ! grep 'alias omzs=". $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh"' "$profile_file" >/dev/null 2>&1
+	then
+	  echo 'alias omzs=". $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh"' >> "$profile_file"
+		echo "- oh-my-zsh will now load when you execute 'omzs'."
+	else
+		echo "- oh-my-zsh is already setup to load using the 'omzs' alias."
+	fi
+  return 0
+}
+
+
+# Propagate your environment system to a remote host
+function propagate_omzs_to_host {
 	if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
-		echo_warn "Usage: propagate_env_to_host [user@]HOSTNAME"
+		echo "Usage: propagate_omzs_to_host [user@]HOSTNAME"
 		return
 	fi
 
 	host=$1
-	shift 1
-	ENVFILE=$HOME/env.tar.gz
+	OH_MY_ZSH=$HOME/env.tar.gz
 	PWD=`pwd`
 	cd $HOME
-	echo_info "Compressing local environment..."
-	tar cfvz $ENVFILE .env/ &> /dev/null
-	echo_info "Copying environment to $host..."
-	scp $ENVFILE $host:
-	if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then echo "Copy failed!"; return; fi
-	echo_info "Installing environment on $host..."
-	ssh $host "rm -rf ~/.env/ && gunzip < env.tar.gz |tar xfv -" &> /dev/null
-	echo_warn "Don't forget to add this your .bashrc file:"
-	echo_warn 'if [[ -n "$PS1" ]]; then'
-	echo_warn '  [[ -r $HOME/.env/source.sh ]] && . $HOME/.env/source.sh'
-	echo_warn 'fi'
+	echo "- compressing local environment..."
+	tar cfvz $OH_MY_ZSH .oh-my-zsh/ &> /dev/null
+	echo "- copying environment to $host..."
+	scp $OH_MY_ZSH $host:
+	if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then echo "> remote copy failed [scp $OH_MY_ZSH $host]!"; return; fi
+	echo "- installing environment on $host..."
+	ssh $host "rm -rf ~/.oh-my-zsh/ && gunzip < env.tar.gz |tar xfv -" &> /dev/null
+	echo "- done.  don't forget to run 'load_omzs_on_login' or 'load_omzs_on_alias'"
 	cd $PWD
 }
 
+function _stub_new_host_environment {
+	mkdir -p $1
+	touch "$1/env.sh"
+	touch "$1/functions.sh"
+	if [[ ! -f "$1/alias.sh" ]]; then
+		echo "# Add your host specific aliases here:\n# Example: alias home='cd \$HOME' " >> "$1/alias.sh"
+	fi
+	if [[ ! -f "$1/path.sh" ]]; then
+		echo "# Add paths like this:\n# pathmunge \"/Developer/usr/bin\"" >> "$1/path.sh"
+	fi
+}
+
 # Configure environment settings for your local machine.
-function configthis.env {
+function config_omzs_for_this_host {
 	DIR="$DOT_ENV_PATH/host/$HOSTNAME"
-	mkdir -p "$DIR"
-	touch "$DIR/env.sh"
-	touch "$DIR/functions.sh"
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/alias.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Add your specific aliases here:\n# Example: alias home='cd \$HOME' " >> "$DIR/alias.sh"
-	fi
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/prompt.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Define your prompt here:\n# Example: PS1=\$BLUE\u@\H\$NO_COLOR " >> "$DIR/prompt.sh"
-	fi
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/path.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Add paths like this:\n# pathmunge \"/Developer/usr/bin\"" >> "$DIR/path.sh"
-	fi
+	_stub_new_host_environment $DIR
 	cd "$DIR"
-	echo_info "Edit these files to customize your local environment."
+	echo "- edit these files to customize your local environment."
 	ls -1AtF
 }
 
 # Configure environment settings for a specified HOSTNAME
-function confighost.env {
+function config_omzs_for_host {
 	if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
-		echo_warn "Usage: confighost.env HOSTNAME"
+		echo_warn "Usage: config_omzs_for_host HOSTNAME"
 		return
 	fi
 	host=$1
-	shift 1
 	DIR="$DOT_ENV_PATH/host/$host"
-	mkdir -p "$DIR"
-	touch "$DIR/env.sh"
-	touch "$DIR/functions.sh"
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/alias.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Add your host specific aliases here:\n# Example: alias home='cd \$HOME' " >> "$DIR/alias.sh"
-	fi
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/prompt.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Define your prompt here:\n# Example: PS1=\$BLUE\u@\H\$NO_COLOR " >> "$DIR/prompt.sh"
-	fi
-	if [[ ! -f "$DIR/path.sh" ]]; then
-		echo "# Add paths like this:\n# pathmunge \"/Developer/usr/bin\"" >> "$DIR/path.sh"
-	fi
+	_stub_new_host_environment $DIR
 	cd "$DIR"
-	echo_info "Edit these files to customize your [$host] environment."
-	echo_info "When you are finished run 'propagate_env_to_host $host'."
+	echo "- edit these files to customize your [$host] environment."
+	echo "- when you are finished run 'propagate_omzs_to_host $host'."
 	ls -1AtF
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/dot-env/global/global_path.sh b/plugins/dot-env/global/global_path.sh
index 1b49b79ec..b78e96dc7 100644
--- a/plugins/dot-env/global/global_path.sh
+++ b/plugins/dot-env/global/global_path.sh
@@ -1,20 +1,26 @@
-paths="${DOT_ENV_PATH}/bin
-/sbin
+paths=(
 /bin
-/usr/X11/bin
+/sbin
 /usr/local/bin
+/usr/local/sbin
+/usr/bin
 /usr/sbin
-/usr/bin"
+/usr/X11/bin
+)
 
 EGREP=`which egrep`
 function pathmunge () {
-	if ! echo $PATH | $EGREP "(^|:)$1($|:)" > /dev/null ; then
-		if [ -d "$1" ]; then
-			if [ "$2" = "before" ] ; then
-				PATH="$1:$PATH"
-			else
-				PATH="$PATH:$1"
-			fi
+	# If it exists then remove it so we can shuffle it to the end or beginning of the PATH
+	if echo $PATH | $EGREP "(^|:)$1($|:)" > /dev/null ; then
+		safe_param=$(printf "%s\n" "$1" | sed 's/[][\.*^$(){}?+|/]/\\&/g')
+		PATH=`echo $PATH | sed -Ee "s/(^|:)$safe_param($|:)/:/"`
+	fi
+	# add the path in the apropriate location
+	if [ -d "$1" ]; then
+		if [ "$2" = "before" ] ; then
+			PATH="$1:$PATH"
+		else
+			PATH="$PATH:$1"
 		fi
 	fi
 }
@@ -26,6 +32,7 @@ done
 # Prepend path with $HOME/bin
 pathmunge "$HOME/bin" before
 
+# Remove : at the beginning and duplicate ::
 PATH=`echo $PATH | sed -e 's/^\://' -e 's/\:\:/:/g'`
 unset paths
 export PATH