diff --git a/docker/bin/zookeeperFunctions.sh b/docker/bin/zookeeperFunctions.sh
index ad1965edf..8c7f0baf9 100644
--- a/docker/bin/zookeeperFunctions.sh
+++ b/docker/bin/zookeeperFunctions.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ function zkConnectionString() {
     set -e
     echo "localhost:${CLIENT_PORT}"
   else
+    if [ -z "${SEED_PORT}" ]; then
+      PORT=${CLIENT_PORT}
+    else
+      PORT=${SEED_PORT}
+    fi
     set -e
-    echo "${CLIENT_HOST}:${CLIENT_PORT}"
+    echo "${CLIENT_HOST}:${PORT}"
   fi
 }
diff --git a/docker/bin/zookeeperReady.sh b/docker/bin/zookeeperReady.sh
index c4179ae72..036a40409 100755
--- a/docker/bin/zookeeperReady.sh
+++ b/docker/bin/zookeeperReady.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ OFFSET=${OFFSET:-1}
 # CLIENT_HOST is used in zkConnectionString function already to create zkURL
 CLIENT_HOST=${SEED_NODE:-$CLIENT_HOST}
 
-
 OK=$(echo ruok | socat stdio tcp:localhost:$CLIENT_PORT)
 
 # Check to see if zookeeper service answers
@@ -88,12 +87,18 @@ if [[ "$OK" == "imok" ]]; then
       exit 0
     elif [[ "$ROLE" == "observer" ]]; then
       echo "Zookeeper service is ready to be upgraded from observer to participant."
-      ROLE=participant
+      SSL_OPTIONS="-Dzookeeper.clientCnxnSocket=org.apache.zookeeper.ClientCnxnSocketNetty -Dzookeeper.client.secure=true"
       ZKURL=$(zkConnectionString)
+      ROLE=participant
       ZKCONFIG=$(zkConfig $OUTSIDE_NAME)
-      java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar remove $ZKURL $MYID
+      if [[ "$ZKURL" =~ :2182$ ]]; then
+        ZK_OPTIONS="$SSL_OPTIONS"
+      else
+        ZK_OPTIONS=""
+      fi
+      java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" $ZK_OPTIONS -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar remove $ZKURL $MYID 
       sleep 1
-      java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar add $ZKURL $MYID $ZKCONFIG
+      java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" $ZK_OPTIONS -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar add $ZKURL $MYID $ZKCONFIG
       exit 0
     else
       echo "Something has gone wrong. Unable to determine zookeeper role."
diff --git a/docker/bin/zookeeperStart.sh b/docker/bin/zookeeperStart.sh
index b32615863..5813b0246 100755
--- a/docker/bin/zookeeperStart.sh
+++ b/docker/bin/zookeeperStart.sh
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ if [ -f $MYID_FILE ]; then
   fi
 fi
 
-if [ -f $DYNCONFIG ]; then
+if [ -f $DYNCONFIG ] && [ -z $SEED_NODE ]; then
   ONDISK_DYN_CONFIG=true
 fi
 
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ else
   fi
 fi
 
+
 if [[ "$WRITE_CONFIGURATION" == true ]]; then
   echo "Writing myid: $MYID to: $MYID_FILE."
   echo $MYID > $MYID_FILE
@@ -151,13 +152,20 @@ if [[ "$WRITE_CONFIGURATION" == true ]]; then
   fi
 fi
 
+
 if [[ "$REGISTER_NODE" == true ]]; then
     ROLE=observer
     ZKURL=$(zkConnectionString)
     ZKCONFIG=$(zkConfig $OUTSIDE_NAME)
     set -e
     echo Registering node and writing local configuration to disk.
-    java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar add $ZKURL $MYID  $ZKCONFIG $DYNCONFIG
+    SSL_OPTIONS="-Dzookeeper.clientCnxnSocket=org.apache.zookeeper.ClientCnxnSocketNetty -Dzookeeper.client.secure=true"
+    if [[ "$ZKURL" =~ :2182$ ]]; then
+      ZK_OPTIONS="$SSL_OPTIONS"
+    else
+      ZK_OPTIONS=""
+    fi
+    java -Dlog4j.configuration=file:"$LOG4J_CONF" $ZK_OPTIONS -jar /opt/libs/zu.jar add $ZKURL $MYID  $ZKCONFIG $DYNCONFIG 
     set +e
 fi
 
diff --git a/docker/zu/src/main/java/io/pravega/zookeeper/Main.kt b/docker/zu/src/main/java/io/pravega/zookeeper/Main.kt
index 7442ffb62..651f703a1 100644
--- a/docker/zu/src/main/java/io/pravega/zookeeper/Main.kt
+++ b/docker/zu/src/main/java/io/pravega/zookeeper/Main.kt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ fun runSync(args: Array<String>, suppressOutput: Boolean = false): String {
       if (! suppressOutput) {
           print(clusterSize)
       }
+      zk.close()
       clusterSize
     } catch (e: Exception) {
       System.err.println("Error performing zookeeper sync operation:")
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ fun runGetAll(args: Array<String>, suppressOutput: Boolean = false): String {
         if (! suppressOutput) {
             print(zkCfg)
         }
+        zk.close()
         zkCfg
     } catch (e: Exception) {
         System.err.println("Error getting server config")
@@ -129,6 +131,7 @@ fun reconfigure(zkUrl: String, joining: String?, leaving: String?, outputFile: S
         } else {
             File(outputFile).bufferedWriter().use {it.write(cfgStr + "\n")}
         }
+        zk.close()
     } catch (e: Exception) {
         System.err.println("Error performing zookeeper reconfiguration:")
         e.printStackTrace(System.err)