diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 336daf1eb32d8de35f7e4e51e46f50dfd42842bb..9a8712eb44d661e3dc6e8be563c05b243d5f7837 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -162,9 +162,18 @@ verify-install-script:
   variables:
     SKIP_CHECKS: 1
   script:
-    - apk add bash curl
-    - bash install.sh
-    - exit 0
+    - "apk add bash curl"
+    - "curl -sSL https://gitlab.phaidra.org/fair-data-austria-db-repository/fda-services/-/raw/release-${DOC_VERSION}/install.sh | bash | grep 'Success!'"
+
+verify-dist:
+  image: docker.io/alpine:3.20
+  stage: verify
+  only:
+    refs:
+      - /^release-.*/
+  script:
+    - "apk add curl"
+    - "curl -v --output /dev/null --fail https://www.ifs.tuwien.ac.at/infrastructures/dbrepo/${APP_VERSION}/dist.tar.gz"
 
 lint-helm-chart:
   image: docker.io/alpine:3.20
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 74206b9e0252cf2ce7e2656fc37e547827d7b17f..711bd024f27cedb7edc8662735c5075e5839c563 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -43,12 +43,18 @@ if [[ $SKIP_CHECKS -eq 0 ]] && [[ $DOWNLOAD_ONLY -ne 1 ]]; then
   fi
   MAX_MAP_COUNT=$(cat /proc/sys/vm/max_map_count)
   if [[ $MAX_MAP_COUNT -lt $MIN_MAP_COUNT ]]; then
-    echo "You do not have enough max. map counts:"
-    echo ""
-    echo "  - we found max. ${MAX_MAP_COUNT} map count instead of necessary ${MIN_MAP_COUNT}"
-    echo "  - update your /etc/sysctl.conf file and add the line 'vm.max_map_count=${MIN_MAP_COUNT}' at the end and apply it with 'sysctl -p'"
-    echo "  - if you believe this is a mistake, skip startup checks with the SKIP_CHECKS=1 flag"
-    exit 4
+    echo "You do not have enough max. map counts: found ${MAX_MAP_COUNT} instead of minimum ${MIN_MAP_COUNT}"
+    if [ $(id -u) -eq 0 ]; then
+        echo "  - attempt to update the /etc/sysctl.conf file  and add the line 'vm.max_map_count=${MIN_MAP_COUNT}' at the end"
+        echo "vm.max_map_count=${MIN_MAP_COUNT}" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
+        sysctl -p
+        if [[ $MAX_MAP_COUNT -lt $MIN_MAP_COUNT ]]; then
+            exit 4
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "  - you need to re-run the install.sh script as root to fix this"
+        exit 4
+    fi
   else
     echo "MAP COUNT ${MAX_MAP_COUNT} OK"
   fi