diff --git a/platforms/hdp/ambari_env.sh b/platforms/hdp/ambari_env.sh
index 4529256..7737778 100644
--- a/platforms/hdp/ambari_env.sh
+++ b/platforms/hdp/ambari_env.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ COMMAND_GROUPS+=(
   "install-gcs-connector-on-ambari:
      platforms/hdp/install_gcs_connector_on_ambari.sh
   "
+
   "update-ambari-config:
      platforms/hdp/update_ambari_config.sh
   "
diff --git a/platforms/hdp/install_ambari_components.sh b/platforms/hdp/install_ambari_components.sh
index 7955598..af6a118 100644
--- a/platforms/hdp/install_ambari_components.sh
+++ b/platforms/hdp/install_ambari_components.sh
@@ -100,10 +100,4 @@ ${AMBARI_CURL} -X POST -d @${CLUSTER_TEMPLATE_FILE} \
 loginfo "Waiting for ambari cluster creation to complete (may take awhile)."
 ambari_wait_requests_completed
 
-# Set up HDFS /user directories.
-loginfo "Setting up HDFS /user directories."
-for USER in $(getent passwd | grep '/home' | cut -d ':' -f 1); do
-  echo "Creating HDFS directory for user '${USER}'"
-  sudo -u hdfs hdfs dfs -mkdir -p "/user/${USER}"
-  sudo -u hdfs hdfs dfs -chown "${USER}" "/user/${USER}"
-done
+loginfo "Ambari is now available at http://${PREFIX}-m:8080/"
diff --git a/platforms/hdp/update_ambari_config.sh b/platforms/hdp/update_ambari_config.sh
index f87a510..97cdc9a 100644
--- a/platforms/hdp/update_ambari_config.sh
+++ b/platforms/hdp/update_ambari_config.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,17 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# Makes post-cluster build configuration changes
+# finalize the cluster configuration
 
+source hadoop_helpers.sh
+
+# initialize hdfs dirs
+if [ "${DEFAULT_FS}" = 'hdfs' ]; then
+    loginfo "Set up HDFS /tmp and /user dirs"
+    initialize_hdfs_dirs
+fi
+
+# update hadoop configuration to include the gcs connector
 if (( ${INSTALL_GCS_CONNECTOR} )) ; then
     loginfo "adding /usr/local/lib/hadoop/lib to mapreduce.application.classpath."
     NEW_CLASSPATH=$(/var/lib/ambari-server/resources/scripts/configs.sh get localhost ${PREFIX} mapred-site | grep -E '^"mapreduce.application.classpath"' | tr -d \" | awk '{print "/usr/local/lib/hadoop/lib/*,"$3}' | sed 's/,$//')
@@ -27,4 +36,7 @@ if (( ${INSTALL_GCS_CONNECTOR} )) ; then
         ambari_service_start
         ambari_wait_requests_completed
     done
+
+    # check if GCS is accessible
+    check_filesystem_accessibility
 fi