diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/db2install b/xCAT/postscripts/db2install
index 2721ec3aa..ce2a5da67 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/db2install
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/db2install
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  Needs  export MASTER=site.master
         export DB2INSTALLLOC=site.db2installlloc
         export DATABASELOC=site.databaseloc
+        export INSTALLDIR=site.installdir
         export XCATDPORT=site.xcatdport
         export NODE=<mynodename>
  
@@ -74,6 +75,18 @@ chomp $::hname;
 
 $::MN = $ENV{'MASTER'};    # as known by the node
 $::databaseloc = $ENV{'DATABASELOC'};    # directory for db instance 
+my $installdir = $ENV{'INSTALLDIR'};  # installdir 
+
+# check to see if the databaseloc attribute is in the installdir attribute
+# directory path.  If it is error out and send something to syslog
+my @installlocdir = split '/', $installdir;  # get base of installdir 
+my @dblocdir = split '/',$::databaseloc;  # get base of database
+if ($installlocdir[1] eq $dblocdir[1] ) { # if they match,error
+  my $msg="db2install:The site databaseloc attribute is set to the directory or a sub-directory of the site table installloc or installdir attribute or the default of /install.  This is not a supported configuration.";
+  `logger -t xcat $msg`;
+       exit(1);
+}
+
 if ($::osname eq 'AIX')
 {
     $::installdb2dir = "/opt/IBM/db2/V9.7";    # default
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@ my $msg;
 my $db2install = $::installdb2dir;
 $db2install .= "\/instance";
 if (!(-e ($db2install)))
-{                                              # already installed
+{                                              # not already installed
     $::db2installloc = $ENV{'DB2INSTALLLOC'};
     if (!$::db2installloc)
     {