diff --git a/app/repositories/lightning.py b/app/repositories/lightning.py
index e11a3ea..aec415d 100644
--- a/app/repositories/lightning.py
+++ b/app/repositories/lightning.py
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ async def register_lightning_listener():
     """
 
     try:
+
+        if lightning_config.ln_node == "" or lightning_config.ln_node == "none":
+            logging.info("SKIPPING register_lightning_listener -> no lightning configured")
+            return
+
         await ln.get_ln_info_impl()
 
         loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
diff --git a/app/utils.py b/app/utils.py
index 02c23a0..40d8d64 100644
--- a/app/utils.py
+++ b/app/utils.py
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ elif node_type == "cln_grpc":
     import app.repositories.ln_impl.protos.cln.node_pb2_grpc as clnrpc
 elif node_type == "cln_unix_socket":
     from pyln.client import LightningRpc
+elif node_type == "" or node_type == "none":
+    logging.info("Running in bitcoin-only mode")
 else:
     raise ValueError(f"Unknown node type: {node_type}")
 
-
 from app.models.bitcoind import BlockRpcFunc
 
 
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ class LightningConfig:
             opts = (("grpc.ssl_target_name_override", "cln"),)
             self._channel = grpc.aio.secure_channel(cln_grpc_url, creds, options=opts)
             self.cln_stub = clnrpc.NodeStub(self._channel)
-        elif self.ln_node == "none":
+        elif self.ln_node == "none" or self.ln_node == "":
             # its ok to run raspiblitz also without lightning
             pass
         else:
diff --git a/scripts/sync_to_blitz.sh b/scripts/sync_to_blitz.sh
index 9065109..2baf992 100644
--- a/scripts/sync_to_blitz.sh
+++ b/scripts/sync_to_blitz.sh
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
 fi
 
 local=.
-remote=admin@$localIP:/root/blitz_api
+remoteRepoPath="/root/blitz_api"
+remote="admin@$localIP:${remoteRepoPath}"
 
 # clean pycache just in case the code was compiled locally before
 echo "# local cache delete .."
@@ -55,6 +56,17 @@ rm -r ./app/repositories/__pycache__ 2>/dev/null
 rm -r ./app/routers/__pycache__ 2>/dev/null
 rm -r ./app/auth/__pycache__ 2>/dev/null
 
+# make sure remote repo files can be overwritten bei user admin
+sshpass -p "$passwordA" ssh -p $sshPort admin@$localIP "sudo chown -R admin:admin ${remoteRepoPath}"
+result=$?
+echo "result(${result})"
+if [ "$result" != "0" ]; then
+    echo "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
+    echo "FAIL: was not able to ssh in: ssh -p ${sshPort} admin@$localIP"
+    echo "SSH in once manually. Then try again."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # Needs sshpass installed
 echo "# syncing local code to: ${remote}"
 sshpass -p "$passwordA" rsync -rvz --exclude .git/ -e "ssh -p ${sshPort}" $local $remote
@@ -62,8 +74,7 @@ result=$?
 echo "result(${result})"
 if [ "$result" != "0" ]; then
     echo "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
-    echo "FAIL: was not able to ssh in: ssh -p ${sshPort} admin@$localIP"
-    echo "SSH in once manually. Then try again."
+    echo "FAIL: was not able to rsync"
     exit 1
 fi