diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b48093e..d8a294f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -165,7 +165,16 @@ To use it, run:
 sudo bash /factory/purge.sh SLUG
 ```
 
-To ensure 
+## Open a shell -- 'shell.sh'
+
+Sometimes manual changes to a given WissKI instance are required. 
+For this purpose, you can use:
+
+```bash
+sudo bash /factory/shell.sh SLUG
+```
+
+This will open a shell in the provided WissKI instance. 
 
 ## License
 
diff --git a/distillery/lib/00_init.sh b/distillery/lib/00_init.sh
index dbb31dd..72c9c88 100644
--- a/distillery/lib/00_init.sh
+++ b/distillery/lib/00_init.sh
@@ -30,32 +30,29 @@ shopt -s expand_aliases
 
 # Setup some basic input/output functions
 function log_info() {
+   if [ -n "$DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
+      return;
+   fi
    echo -e "\033[1m$1\033[0m"
 }
 
 function log_ok() {
+   if [ -n "$DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
+      return;
+   fi
    echo -e "\033[0;32m$1\033[0m"
 }
 
 function log_warn() {
+   if [ -n "$DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
+      return;
+   fi
    echo -e "\033[1;33m$1\033[0m"
 }
 
 function log_error() {
+   if [ -n "$DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
+      return;
+   fi
    echo -e "\033[0;31m$1\033[0m"
 }
-
-if [ -n "$DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
-   function log_info() {
-      true
-   }
-   function log_ok() {
-      true
-   }
-   function log_warn() {
-      true
-   }
-   function log_error() {
-      true
-   }
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/distillery/lib/30_slug.sh b/distillery/lib/30_slug.sh
index 15871ad..66831da 100644
--- a/distillery/lib/30_slug.sh
+++ b/distillery/lib/30_slug.sh
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ function require_slug_argument() {
     fi
 
     log_info " => Deriving configuration for '$SLUG'. "
-    echo "Domain Name:          $INSTANCE_DOMAIN"
-    echo "Base Directory:       $INSTANCE_BASE_DIR"
-    echo "MySQL User:           $MYSQL_USER"
-    echo "MySQL Database:       $MYSQL_DATABASE"
-    echo "GraphDB User:         $GRAPHDB_USER"
-    echo "GraphDB Repository:   $GRAPHDB_REPO"
+    if [ ! -n "DISABLE_LOG" ]; then
+        echo "Domain Name:          $INSTANCE_DOMAIN"
+        echo "Base Directory:       $INSTANCE_BASE_DIR"
+        echo "MySQL User:           $MYSQL_USER"
+        echo "MySQL Database:       $MYSQL_DATABASE"
+        echo "GraphDB User:         $GRAPHDB_USER"
+        echo "GraphDB Repository:   $GRAPHDB_REPO"
+    fi
 }
 
 # Read the slug argument. 
diff --git a/distillery/shell.sh b/distillery/shell.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c7e91c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distillery/shell.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# To install a new system:
+set -e
+
+# read the lib/shared.sh and read the slug argument. 
+DISABLE_LOG=1
+DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
+cd "$DIR"
+source "$DIR/lib/lib.sh"
+require_slug_argument
+DISABLE_LOG=0
+
+# if the site doesn't exist, I can't open a shell. 
+if ! sql_bookkeep_exists "$SLUG"; then
+    log_error "=> Site '$SLUG' does not exist in bookeeping table. "
+    echo "I can't open a shell there. "
+    exit 1
+fi;
+
+# Read everything from the database
+read -r INSTANCE_BASE_DIR MYSQL_DATABASE MYSQL_USER GRAPHDB_REPO GRAPHDB_USER <<< "$(sql_bookkeep_load "${SLUG}" "filesystem_base,sql_database,sql_user,graphdb_repository,graphdb_user" | tail -n +2)"
+
+# cd into the right directory
+cd "$INSTANCE_BASE_DIR"
+
+# and open a www-data shell
+docker-compose exec runtime /bin/bash -c "cd /var/www/data/project; sudo -u www-data /bin/bash"