diff --git a/deployment/scripts/branded-images.build.sh b/deployment/scripts/branded-images.build.sh
index 099ba460a..62d2eb4af 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/branded-images.build.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/branded-images.build.sh
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 DOCKERHUB_ORGANISATION=${DOCKERHUB_ORGANISATION:-"ocelotsocialnetwork"}
 OCELOT_VERSION=${OCELOT_VERSION:-$(node -p -e "require('${SCRIPT_DIR}/../../package.json').version")}
 BRANDED_VERSION=${BRANDED_VERSION:-${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER:-"local"}}
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/cluster.backup.sh b/deployment/scripts/cluster.backup.sh
index b83bab198..7d9cbd44d 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/cluster.backup.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/cluster.backup.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 KUBECONFIG=${KUBECONFIG:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/kubeconfig.yaml}
 BACKUP_DATE=$(date "+%F_%H-%M-%S")
 BACKUP_FOLDER=${BACKUP_FOLDER:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/backup/${BACKUP_DATE}}
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/cluster.maintenance.sh b/deployment/scripts/cluster.maintenance.sh
index 3a558d7bb..1d2d4ecea 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/cluster.maintenance.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/cluster.maintenance.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 KUBECONFIG=${KUBECONFIG:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/kubeconfig.yaml}
 
 case $1 in
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/cluster.reseed.sh b/deployment/scripts/cluster.reseed.sh
index 705e1880a..0f366bec8 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/cluster.reseed.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/cluster.reseed.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 KUBECONFIG=${KUBECONFIG:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/kubeconfig.yaml}
 
 # clean & seed
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/cluster.upgrade.sh b/deployment/scripts/cluster.upgrade.sh
index 1aec2cf18..9374d6955 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/cluster.upgrade.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/cluster.upgrade.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 KUBECONFIG=${KUBECONFIG:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/kubeconfig.yaml}
 VALUES=${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/kubernetes/values.
 DOCKERHUB_OCELOT_TAG=${DOCKERHUB_OCELOT_TAG:-"latest"}
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/secret.generate.sh b/deployment/scripts/secret.generate.sh
index dba958c34..7e8e011d0 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/secret.generate.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/secret.generate.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 SECRET_FILE=${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/SECRET
 
 openssl rand -base64 32 > ${SECRET_FILE}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/secrets.decrypt.sh b/deployment/scripts/secrets.decrypt.sh
index 283768ad0..f98f77917 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/secrets.decrypt.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/secrets.decrypt.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 SECRET=${SECRET}
 SECRET_FILE=${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/SECRET
 FILES=(\
diff --git a/deployment/scripts/secrets.encrypt.sh b/deployment/scripts/secrets.encrypt.sh
index ef6c87e85..fabd91e98 100755
--- a/deployment/scripts/secrets.encrypt.sh
+++ b/deployment/scripts/secrets.encrypt.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@
 SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
 
+# check CONFIGURATION
+if [ -z ${CONFIGURATION} ]; then
+  echo "You must provide a `CONFIGURATION` via environment variable"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # configuration
-CONFIGURATION=${CONFIGURATION:-"example"}
 SECRET=${SECRET}
 SECRET_FILE=${SCRIPT_DIR}/../configurations/${CONFIGURATION}/SECRET
 FILES=(\