diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/git_commit_bpmn_models_repo b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/git_commit_bpmn_models_repo
index f34400ec5..b31a6d27a 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/git_commit_bpmn_models_repo
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/git_commit_bpmn_models_repo
@@ -44,7 +44,22 @@ function run() {
   git push --set-upstream origin "${git_branch}"
 }
 
-exec {lock_fd}>/var/lock/spiff-workflow-git-lock || failed_to_get_lock
+lock_directory="/var/lock"
+if [[ ! -d "${lock_directory}" ]]; then
+  lock_directory="/tmp"
+fi
+
+if ! command -v flock >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  if command -v brew >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    # some hero made this available on mac: https://github.com/discoteq/flock
+    brew install flock
+  else
+    >&2 echo "ERROR: flock is not installed and we cannot install it."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+exec {lock_fd}>"${lock_directory}/spiffworkflow-git-lock" || failed_to_get_lock
 flock --timeout 60 "${lock_fd}" || failed_to_get_lock
 run
 flock -u "${lock_fd}"
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..eb4fcc2c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function error_handler() {
+  >&2 echo "Exited with BAD EXIT CODE '${2}' in ${0} script at line: ${1}."
+  exit "$2"
+}
+trap 'error_handler ${LINENO} $?' ERR
+set -o errtrace -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
+
+username="${1:-}"
+password="${2:-}"
+if [[ -z "$password" ]]; then
+  password="$username"
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "${1:-}" ]]; then
+  >&2 echo "usage: $(basename "$0") [username] [password]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+script_dir="$( cd -- "$(dirname "$0")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )"
+
+if [[ -z "${REALM_NAME:-}" ]]; then
+  REALM_NAME=spiffworkflow
+fi
+
+access_token=$("${script_dir}/get_token" "$username" "$password" "$REALM_NAME" || echo '')
+if [[ -z "$access_token" || "$access_token" == "null" ]]; then
+  >&2 echo "ERROR: failed to get access token for '$username'"
+else
+
+  echo "access_token: ${access_token}"
+  curl -v -X POST "${BACKEND_BASE_URL}/v1.0/login_with_access_token?access_token=${access_token}" -H "Authorization: Bearer $access_token"
+fi
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user_list b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user_list
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..401925779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/login_with_user_list
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function error_handler() {
+  >&2 echo "Exited with BAD EXIT CODE '${2}' in ${0} script at line: ${1}."
+  exit "$2"
+}
+trap 'error_handler ${LINENO} $?' ERR
+set -o errtrace -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
+
+script_dir="$( cd -- "$(dirname "$0")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )"
+
+if [[ -z "${KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL:-}" ]]; then
+  # export KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL=http://localhost:7002
+  export KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL=https://keycloak.dev.spiffworkflow.org
+fi
+if [[ -z "${BACKEND_BASE_URL:-}" ]]; then
+  # export BACKEND_BASE_URL=http://localhost:7000
+  export BACKEND_BASE_URL=https://api.dev.spiffworkflow.org
+fi
+
+user_list="${1}"
+if [[ -z "${1:-}" ]]; then
+  >&2 echo "usage: $(basename "$0") [user_list]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+export REALM_NAME=${2-spiffworkflow}
+
+while read -r input_line; do
+  if ! grep -qE '(^#|email)' <<<"$input_line" ; then
+    username=$(awk -F '@' '{print $1}' <<<"$input_line")
+    password=$(awk -F ',' '{print $2}' <<<"$input_line")
+    "${script_dir}/login_with_user" "$username" "$password"
+  fi
+done <"$user_list"