diff --git a/CabalMeta.hs b/CabalMeta.hs
--- a/CabalMeta.hs
+++ b/CabalMeta.hs
@@ -122,13 +122,13 @@
 vendor_dir :: FilePath
 vendor_dir = "vendor"
 
-git_ :: Text -> [Text] -> ShIO ()
+git_ :: Text -> [Text] -> Sh ()
 git_ = command1_ "git" []
 
-darcs_ :: Text -> [Text] -> ShIO ()
+darcs_ :: Text -> [Text] -> Sh ()
 darcs_ = command1_ "darcs" []
 
-readPackages :: Bool ->  FilePath -> ShIO PackageSources
+readPackages :: Bool ->  FilePath -> Sh PackageSources
 readPackages allowCabals startDir = do
   fullDir <- canonic startDir
   chdir fullDir $ do
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
   where
     isCabalFile = flip hasExtension "cabal"
     isCabalPresent = fmap (any isCabalFile) (ls ".")
-    updatePackage :: UnstablePackage -> ShIO ()
+    updatePackage :: UnstablePackage -> Sh ()
     updatePackage p@(GitPackage repo _ t) = do
       let d = diskPath p
       e <- test_d d
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
         else chdir d $ darcs_ "pull"  ["--all"]
     updatePackage (Directory _ _) = return mempty
 
-    getSources :: ShIO PackageSources
+    getSources :: Sh PackageSources
     getSources = do
         sourceContent <- readfile source_file
         let sources = paritionSources [ source | 
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@
           go _ ([]:_) = error "impossible"
           go sources ((name:flgs):more) = let n = T.head name in
             case () of
-              _ | n `elem` "./"   -> next sources { dirs     = mkDir: dirs sources  }
+              _ | n `elem` ("./" :: String)   -> next sources { dirs     = mkDir: dirs sources  }
                 | prefix "http"   -> next sources { https    = mkGit: https sources }
                 | prefix "https"  -> next sources { gits     = mkGit: https sources }
                 | prefix "git:"   -> next sources { gits     = mkGit: gits sources  }
diff --git a/cabal-meta.cabal b/cabal-meta.cabal
--- a/cabal-meta.cabal
+++ b/cabal-meta.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            cabal-meta
-version:         0.4.1.2
+version:         0.4.1.3
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Greg Weber <greg@gregweber.info>
diff --git a/main.hs b/main.hs
--- a/main.hs
+++ b/main.hs
@@ -28,27 +28,34 @@
  ,"You can also set options through the CABAL_META_OPTS environment variable or the ~/.cabal-meta/opts file"
  ]
 
-cabal_install_ :: CabalExe -> [Text] -> ShIO ()
+cabal_install_ :: CabalExe -> [Text] -> Sh ()
 cabal_install_ cabal = command_ (progName cabal) ["install"]
 
 data CabalExe = Cabal | CabalDev deriving Show
 
 progName :: CabalExe -> FilePath
-progName Cabal = "cabal"
+progName Cabal    = "cabal"
 progName CabalDev = "cabal-dev"
 
-assertCabalDependencies :: CabalExe -> IO ()
+assertCabalDependencies :: CabalExe -> IO Bool
 assertCabalDependencies Cabal    = shelly $ do
-  mPath <- which "cabal-src-install"
-  when (isNothing mPath) $ do
-    echo "please run: cabal install cabal-src"
-    quietExit 1
+    whenM (test_e "cabal-dev") $ do
+      echo help
+      echo "\n\ncabal-dev/ folder found. use the --dev option"
+      quietExit 1
 
+    mPath <- which "cabal-src-install"
+    if isNothing mPath
+      then warn >> return False
+      else return True
+  where
+    warn = echo "\nWARNING: cabal-src not installed. run:\n   cabal install cabal-src\n"
+
 assertCabalDependencies CabalDev = do
-  mcd <- shelly $ which "cabal-dev"
-  case mcd of
-    Just _ -> return ()
-    Nothing -> error "--dev requires cabal-dev to be installed"
+    mcd <- shelly $ which "cabal-dev"
+    case mcd of
+      Just _ -> return False
+      Nothing -> error "--dev requires cabal-dev to be installed"
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
@@ -71,7 +78,7 @@
     shelly $
       if (headDef "" noDevArgs == "--help") then exit 0 else quietExit 1
 
-  assertCabalDependencies cabal
+  installSrc <- assertCabalDependencies cabal
 
   let (_:args) = noDevArgs
 
@@ -82,13 +89,9 @@
     mapM_ echo $ map (T.intercalate " ") installs
 
     cabal_install_ cabal $ args ++ concat installs
-    whenCabal cabal $ do
+    case (cabal, installSrc) of
+      (Cabal, True) ->
         forM_ (unstablePackages packageSources) $ \pkg ->
           chdir (diskPath pkg) $ run "cabal-src-install" ["--src-only"]
+      _ -> return ()
     return ()
-
-  where
-    whenCabal cabal a =
-      case cabal of
-        CabalDev -> return ()
-        Cabal    -> a