diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/main.go
index eaeeaac7..9648664e 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/main.go
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			for _, node := range nodes {
 				return overlay.BuildOverlayIndir(node, strings.Split(OverlayName, ","), OverlayDir)
 			}
+		} else {
+			var host node.NodeInfo
+			var idEntry node.Entry
+			hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
+			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.INFO, "Building overlay for %s: host\n", hostname)
+			idEntry.Set(hostname)
+			host.Id = idEntry
+			return overlay.BuildOverlayIndir(host, strings.Split(OverlayName, ","), OverlayDir)
+
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/root.go
index e8ad090e..8560670f 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/build/root.go
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ func init() {
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&BuildHost, "host", "H", false, "Build overlays only for the host")
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&BuildNodes, "nodes", "N", false, "Build overlays only for the nodes")
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&OverlayName, "overlay", "O", "", "Build only specific overlay")
-	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&OverlayDir, "output", "o", "", `Do not create an overlay to image, for distribution but write to|
-	the given directory. An overlay must also be ge given to use this option. '/dev/stdin' will print|
-	the processed overlay.`)
+	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&OverlayDir, "output", "o", "", `Do not create an overlay image, for distribution but write to
+	the given directory. An overlay must also be ge given to use this option.`)
 
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
index f6ed7658..94b50b85 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ func BuildOverlayIndir(nodeInfo node.NodeInfo, overlayNames []string, outputDir
 	dt := time.Now()
 	tstruct.BuildTime = dt.Format("01-02-2006 15:04:05 MST")
 	for _, overlayName := range overlayNames {
+		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.VERBOSE, "Building overlay %s for node %s in %s\n", overlayName, nodeInfo.Id.Get(), outputDir)
 		overlaySourceDir := OverlaySourceDir(overlayName)
 		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Starting to build overlay %s\nChanging directory to OverlayDir: %s\n", overlayName, overlaySourceDir)
 		err = os.Chdir(overlaySourceDir)
@@ -319,6 +320,7 @@ func BuildOverlayIndir(nodeInfo node.NodeInfo, overlayNames []string, outputDir
 					"IncludeBlock": templateFileBlock,
 					"inc":          func(i int) int { return i + 1 },
 					"dec":          func(i int) int { return i - 1 },
+					"file":         func(str string) string { return fmt.Sprintf("{{ /* file %s*/ }}", str) },
 					"abort":        func() (string, error) { return "", ErrorAbort },
 					"nobackup":     func() (string, error) { return "", ErrorNoBackup },
 					// }).ParseGlob(path.Join(OverlayDir, destFile+".ww*"))