diff --git a/src/_services/network.service.js b/src/_services/network.service.js
index 64c2be3..ab04076 100644
--- a/src/_services/network.service.js
+++ b/src/_services/network.service.js
@@ -35,17 +35,17 @@ function getNearestRegions(footprint, messages, errors) {
     return fetch(`${config.apiUrl}/me/regions/closest${footprintParam}`, util.getWithAuth()).then(util.handleCrudResponse(messages, errors));
 }
 
-function getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region) {
-    return (typeof cloud === 'undefined' || typeof region === 'undefined' || cloud === null || region === null) ? "" : `?cloud=${cloud}&region=${region}`;
+function getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region, exactRegion) {
+    return `?cloud=${cloud}&region=${region}&exactRegion=${exactRegion}`;
 }
 
-function startNetwork(userId, planId, cloud, region, messages, errors) {
-    const cloudAndRegion = getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region);
+function startNetwork(userId, planId, cloud, region, exactRegion, messages, errors) {
+    const cloudAndRegion = getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region, exactRegion);
     return fetch(`${config.apiUrl}/users/${userId}/networks/${planId}/actions/start${cloudAndRegion}`, util.postWithAuth()).then(util.handleCrudResponse(messages, errors));
 }
 
-function forkNetwork(userId, planId, forkHost, cloud, region, messages, errors) {
-    const cloudAndRegion = getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region);
+function forkNetwork(userId, planId, forkHost, cloud, region, exactRegion, messages, errors) {
+    const cloudAndRegion = getCloudAndRegion(cloud, region, exactRegion);
     return fetch(`${config.apiUrl}/users/${userId}/networks/${planId}/actions/fork/${forkHost}${cloudAndRegion}`, util.putWithAuth()).then(util.handleCrudResponse(messages, errors));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/_store/networks.module.js b/src/_store/networks.module.js
index e446c73..668ef37 100644
--- a/src/_store/networks.module.js
+++ b/src/_store/networks.module.js
@@ -51,20 +51,20 @@ const actions = {
                             error => commit('getNetworkByIdFailure', error));
     },
 
-    addPlanAndStartNetwork({ commit }, {userId, accountPlan, cloud, region, messages, errors}) {
+    addPlanAndStartNetwork({ commit }, {userId, accountPlan, cloud, region, exactRegion, messages, errors}) {
         commit('addPlanAndStartNetworkRequest');
         accountPlanService.newAccountPlan(userId, accountPlan, messages, errors)
             .then(
                 plan => {
                     if (accountPlan.forkHost && accountPlan.forkHost !== '') {
-                        networkService.forkNetwork(userId, plan.name, accountPlan.forkHost, cloud, region, messages, errors)
+                        networkService.forkNetwork(userId, plan.name, accountPlan.forkHost, cloud, exactRegion, region, messages, errors)
                             .then(
                                 newNodeNotification => commit('addPlanAndStartNetworkSuccess', newNodeNotification),
                                 error => commit('addPlanSuccessStartNetworkFailure', error)
                             );
 
                     } else {
-                        networkService.startNetwork(userId, plan.name, cloud, region, messages, errors)
+                        networkService.startNetwork(userId, plan.name, cloud, region, exactRegion, messages, errors)
                             .then(
                                 newNodeNotification => commit('addPlanAndStartNetworkSuccess', newNodeNotification),
                                 error => commit('addPlanSuccessStartNetworkFailure', error)
diff --git a/src/account/NetworkPage.vue b/src/account/NetworkPage.vue
index ee74fe1..d509d7f 100644
--- a/src/account/NetworkPage.vue
+++ b/src/account/NetworkPage.vue
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 <template>
     <div v-if="network">
         <h4>{{ network.nickname }} - <i>{{ messages['msg_network_state_'+network.state] }}</i></h4>
+
+        <h6 class="alert-danger" v-if="stats && statsError">{{messages[stats.messageKey]}}</h6>
+
         <h6 v-if="this.isNotSelfNet && (isInReadyToRestoreState || this.network.state === 'running')">
             <button v-if="this.network.state === 'running'" :title="messages.message_network_connect"
                     :onclick="'window.open(\'' + networkAppLoginUrl + '\', \'_blank\')'">
@@ -15,11 +18,11 @@
 
         <div v-if="stats && (network.state === 'created' || network.state === 'starting' || network.state === 'restoring')">
             <!-- adapted from: https://code-boxx.com/simple-vanilla-javascript-progress-bar/ -->
-            <div class="progress-wrap">
+            <div v-if="stats.percent" class="progress-wrap">
                 <div class="progress-bar" :style="'width: '+stats.percent+'%'" :id="'progressBar_'+networkId"></div>
                 <div class="progress-text">{{messages.label_percent.parseMessage(this, {percent: stats.percent})}}</div>
             </div>
-            <div :id="'progressBar_details_'+networkId">{{messages[stats.messageKey]}}</div>
+            <div v-if="!statsError" :id="'progressBar_details_'+networkId">{{messages[stats.messageKey]}}</div>
             <hr/>
         </div>
 
@@ -130,8 +133,7 @@
                 </div>
                 {{ messages.button_description_restore }}
             </div>
-            <div v-else v-html="messages.restore_not_possible_nodes_exist_html" />
-
+            <div v-else-if="this.statsError === null" v-html="messages.restore_not_possible_nodes_exist_html" />
         </div>
 
         <div v-if="configs.sageLauncher">
@@ -176,6 +178,9 @@
                 networkId: this.$route.params.id,
                 networkUuid: null,
                 stats: null,
+                statsError: false,
+                statsCompleted: false,
+                statsErrorRetry: false,
                 refresher: null,
                 stopRefresher: null,
                 restoreKeyCode: null,
@@ -374,8 +379,7 @@
                 if (net) {
                     if (net.uuid === 'Not Found') this.$router.replace({path: '/bubbles'});
                     this.networkUuid = net.uuid;
-
-                    if (net.state !== 'created' && net.state !== 'starting' && net.state !== 'restoring') {
+                    if ((this.statsError && !this.statsErrorRetry) || this.statsCompleted) {
                         this.clearRefresherInterval(this.refresher);
                     }
                     if (net.state !== 'stopping') this.clearRefresherInterval(this.stopRefresher);
@@ -385,6 +389,7 @@
                 // console.log('watch.networkNodes: received: '+JSON.stringify(nodes));
             },
             networkStatuses (stats) {
+                // console.log('watch.networkStatuses received: '+JSON.stringify(stats));
                 if (this.network && stats && stats.length && stats.length > 0) {
                     let latestStats = null;
                     for (let i=0; i<stats.length; i++) {
@@ -395,7 +400,9 @@
                     }
                     if (latestStats !== null) {
                         this.stats = latestStats;
-                        if (this.stats.percent === 100) this.clearRefresherInterval(this.refresher);
+                        this.statsError = this.stats.messageKey.startsWith('meter_error_');
+                        this.statsErrorRetry = this.stats.messageKey.startsWith('meter_error_retry_');
+                        this.statsCompleted = (this.stats.percent === 100) || this.stats.messageKey.startsWith('meter_completed_');
                     } else {
                         // status not found for our network
                         this.clearRefresherInterval(this.refresher);
@@ -413,29 +420,27 @@
                     if (this.user.admin) {
                         if (this.upgradeRefresher !== null) {
                             this.checkingForUpgrade = false;
-                            console.log('watch.configs: found c.jarVersion=' + c.jarVersion + ', c.jarUpgradeAvailable=' + JSON.stringify(c.jarUpgradeAvailable));
+                            // console.log('watch.configs: found c.jarVersion=' + c.jarVersion + ', c.jarUpgradeAvailable=' + JSON.stringify(c.jarUpgradeAvailable));
                             // if there is no longer an upgrade available, then the upgrade succeeded
                             if (c.jarUpgradeAvailable === null) {
                                 console.log('watch.configs: upgraded, reloading...');
                                 window.location.reload();
-                                // window.clearInterval(this.upgradeRefresher);
                             }
 
                         } else if (c.jarVersion && this.checkingForUpgrade === null) {
                             this.checkingForUpgrade = true;
-                            console.log('watch.configs: checking for upgrade...')
                             this.checkForUpgrade();
                         }
                     } else {
-                        console.log('watch.configs: user is not admin, not checking for upgrade');
+                        // console.log('watch.configs: user is not admin, not checking for upgrade');
                     }
                 }
             },
             upgrading (u) {
-                console.log('watch.upgrading received: '+JSON.stringify(u));
+                // console.log('watch.upgrading received: '+JSON.stringify(u));
                 if (u) {
                     if (u && this.upgradeRefresher === null) {
-                        console.log('watch.upgrading: starting refresher');
+                        // console.log('watch.upgrading: starting refresher');
                         const vue = this;
                         this.upgradeRefresher = window.setInterval(() => {
                             vue.loadSystemConfigs();
@@ -445,11 +450,11 @@
             },
             upgradeCheck (u) {
                 if (u) {
-                    console.log('watch.upgradeCheck received: '+JSON.stringify(u)+', setting checkingForUpgrade = true');
+                    // console.log('watch.upgradeCheck received: '+JSON.stringify(u)+', setting checkingForUpgrade = true');
                     this.checkingForUpgrade = true;
                     const vue = this;
                     window.setTimeout(() => {
-                        console.log('reloading system configs in response to upgrade check')
+                        // console.log('reloading system configs in response to upgrade check')
                         vue.loadSystemConfigs();
                         this.checkingForUpgrade = false;
                     }, 10000);
diff --git a/src/account/NewNetworkPage.vue b/src/account/NewNetworkPage.vue
index 7cb0300..5c042c2 100644
--- a/src/account/NewNetworkPage.vue
+++ b/src/account/NewNetworkPage.vue
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@
                 <select name="region" v-validate="'required'" v-model="cloudRegionUuid" v-if="regions" class="form-control" :class="{ 'is-invalid': submitted && errors.has('region') }">
                     <option v-for="region in regions" :value="region.uuid">{{region.name}} {{regionDistance(region.uuid)}}</option>
                 </select>
+
+                <label for="flexRegion"><b>{{messages.field_label_flex_region}}</b></label>
+                <input type="checkbox" name="exactRegion" v-model="flexRegion"/>
+                <p v-if="flexRegion">{{messages.field_label_flex_region_description}}</p>
+                <p v-else>{{messages.field_label_exact_region_description}}</p>
+
                 <div v-if="submitted && errors.has('region')" class="invalid-feedback d-block">{{ errors.first('region') }}</div>
                 <button @click="customize.region = false">{{messages.button_label_use_default}}</button>
             </div>
@@ -413,6 +419,7 @@
                     region: '',
                     sshKey: ''
                 },
+                flexRegion: true,
                 submitted: false,
                 status: {
                     creating: false
@@ -668,6 +675,7 @@
                                     accountPlan: this.accountPlan,
                                     cloud: cloudRegion.cloud,
                                     region: cloudRegion.internalName,
+                                    exactRegion: !this.flexRegion,
                                     messages: this.messages,
                                     errors: this.errors
                                 });