diff --git a/Shorewall-lite/shorewall-lite.service b/Shorewall-lite/shorewall-lite.service
index 42dd729ee..76490236a 100644
--- a/Shorewall-lite/shorewall-lite.service
+++ b/Shorewall-lite/shorewall-lite.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #
 [Unit]
 Description=Shorewall IPv4 firewall (lite)
-After=network.target
+After=network-online.target
 Conflicts=iptables.service firewalld.service
 
 [Service]
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
index d36f7430a..29ceeb782 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
@@ -649,10 +649,7 @@ sub compiler {
 
     set_config_path( $config_path ) if $config_path;
 
-    if ( $directory ne '' ) {
-	fatal_error "$directory is not an existing directory" unless -d $directory;
-	set_shorewall_dir( $directory );
-    }
+    set_shorewall_dir( $directory ) if $directory ne '';
 
     $verbosity = 1 if $debug && $verbosity < 1;
 
@@ -665,15 +662,6 @@ sub compiler {
     #
     get_configuration( $export , $update , $annotate , $directives , $inline );
     #
-    # Create a temp file to hold the script
-    #
-    if ( $scriptfilename ) {
-	set_command( 'compile', 'Compiling', 'Compiled' );
-	create_temp_script( $scriptfilename , $export );
-    } else {
-	set_command( 'check', 'Checking', 'Checked' );
-    }
-    #
     # Chain table initialization depends on shorewall.conf and capabilities. So it must be deferred until
     # now when shorewall.conf has been processed and the capabilities have been determined.
     #
@@ -683,6 +671,15 @@ sub compiler {
     #
     run_user_exit1 'compile';
     #
+    # Create a temp file to hold the script
+    #
+    if ( $scriptfilename ) {
+	set_command( 'compile', 'Compiling', 'Compiled' );
+	create_temp_script( $scriptfilename , $export );
+    } else {
+	set_command( 'check', 'Checking', 'Checked' );
+    }
+    #
     #                                     Z O N E   D E F I N I T I O N
     #                              (Produces no output to the compiled script)
     #
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index eb08c39ae..cdadcf6c8 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -1268,9 +1268,7 @@ sub cleanup_iptables() {
 	qt1( "$iptables $iptablesw -t raw -X $sillyname" );
     }
 
-    $sillyname = $sillyname1 = undef;
-
-    $sillyname = '';
+    $sillyname = $sillyname1 = '';
 }
 
 #
@@ -1591,7 +1589,7 @@ sub set_command( $$$ ) {
 #
 # Print the current TOD to STDOUT.
 #
-sub timestamp() {
+sub get_localtime() {
     our @localtime = localtime;
     printf '%02d:%02d:%02d ', @localtime[2,1,0];
 }
@@ -1608,7 +1606,7 @@ sub progress_message {
 	$line =~ s/\s+/ /g;
 
 	if ( $verbosity > 1 ) {
-	    timestamp, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
+	    get_localtime, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
 	    #
 	    # We use this function to display messages containing raw config file images which may contains tabs (including multiple tabs in succession).
 	    # The following makes such messages look more readable and uniform
@@ -1631,7 +1629,7 @@ sub progress_message_nocompress {
     my $havelocaltime = 0;
 
     if ( $verbosity > 1 ) {
-	timestamp, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
+	get_localtime, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
 	print "@_\n";
     }
 
@@ -1652,7 +1650,7 @@ sub progress_message2 {
     my $havelocaltime = 0;
 
     if ( $verbosity > 0 ) {
-	timestamp, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
+	get_localtime, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
 	print "@_\n";
     }
 
@@ -1673,7 +1671,7 @@ sub progress_message3 {
     my $havelocaltime = 0;
 
     if ( $verbosity >= 0 ) {
-	timestamp, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
+	get_localtime, $havelocaltime = 1 if $timestamp;
 	print "@_\n";
     }
 
@@ -1762,7 +1760,7 @@ sub create_temp_script( $$ ) {
 
 }
 
-# Generate the SHA1 digest of the (incomplete script)
+# Generate the SHA1 digest of the (incomplete) script
 #
 sub generate_sha1() {
     my $data = `cat $tempfile`;
@@ -1840,7 +1838,7 @@ sub set_config_path( $ ) {
 }
 
 #
-# Set $debug
+# Set $debug and $confess
 #
 sub set_debug( $$ ) {
     $debug   = shift;
@@ -1865,6 +1863,9 @@ sub find_file($)
     "$config_path[0]$filename";
 }
 
+#
+# Split a comma-separated list into a Perl array
+#
 sub split_list( $$;$ ) {
     my ($list, $type, $origlist ) = @_;
 
@@ -1873,6 +1874,9 @@ sub split_list( $$;$ ) {
     split /,/, $list;
 }
 
+#
+# This version handles parenthetical list elements with embedded commas. It removes the parentheses
+#
 sub split_list1( $$;$ ) {
     my ($list, $type, $keepparens ) = @_;
 
@@ -2024,6 +2028,9 @@ sub split_list3( $$ ) {
     @list2;
 }
 
+#
+# Splits the columns of a config file record
+#
 sub split_columns( $ ) {
     my ($list) = @_;
 
@@ -4752,6 +4759,7 @@ sub ensure_config_path() {
 #
 sub set_shorewall_dir( $ ) {
     $shorewall_dir = shift;
+    fatal_error "$shorewall_dir is not an existing directory" unless -d $shorewall_dir;
     ensure_config_path;
 }
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/shorewall.service b/Shorewall/shorewall.service
index c61e1abf7..41223714e 100644
--- a/Shorewall/shorewall.service
+++ b/Shorewall/shorewall.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #
 [Unit]
 Description=Shorewall IPv4 firewall
-After=network.target
+After=network-online.target
 Conflicts=iptables.service firewalld.service
 
 [Service]
diff --git a/Shorewall6-lite/shorewall6-lite.service b/Shorewall6-lite/shorewall6-lite.service
index 19cc137b6..6ca161f9b 100644
--- a/Shorewall6-lite/shorewall6-lite.service
+++ b/Shorewall6-lite/shorewall6-lite.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #
 [Unit]
 Description=Shorewall IPv6 firewall (lite)
-After=network.target
+After=network-online.target
 Conflicts=ip6tables.service firewalld.service
 
 [Service]
diff --git a/Shorewall6/shorewall6.service b/Shorewall6/shorewall6.service
index 1f17db8c6..0d79c28c3 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/shorewall6.service
+++ b/Shorewall6/shorewall6.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #
 [Unit]
 Description=Shorewall IPv6 firewall
-After=network.target
+After=network-online.target
 Conflicts=ip6tables.service firewalld.service
 
 [Service]