diff --git a/shellscripts/api-imlciserver.sh b/shellscripts/api-imlciserver.sh
index f2e9b31f0cb0db2aeb014fb838fe3d550e781462..b61fe3f5c08b3aebb41a9e0b3d8726dc78d43ebb 100644
--- a/shellscripts/api-imlciserver.sh
+++ b/shellscripts/api-imlciserver.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 # API CLIENT :: API REQUEST TO IML CI SERVER
 #
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-# 2020-07-23  first lines  <axel.hahn@iml.unibe.ch>
+# 2020-07-23  v1.0  <axel.hahn@iml.unibe.ch> first lines
+# 2020-07-29  v1.1  <axel.hahn@iml.unibe.ch>  check "/" in branch; check http status 200 
 # ======================================================================
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -54,6 +55,8 @@ function makeRequest(){
   local apiRequest=$2
   local secret=$3
 
+  local outfile=$( mktemp )
+
   echo $line
   echo $apiMethod ${apiHost}${apiRequest}
   echo $line
@@ -81,12 +84,22 @@ ${apiTS}
       -H "Date: ${apiTS}" \
       -H "Authorization: demo-bash-client:${myHash}" \
       -X $apiMethod \
-      ${IMLCI_URL}${apiRequest}
+      ${IMLCI_URL}${apiRequest} | tee -a $outfile
   else
     curl -i \
       -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
       -X $apiMethod \
-      ${IMLCI_URL}${apiRequest}
+      ${IMLCI_URL}${apiRequest} | tee -a $outfile
+  fi
+
+  grep "^HTTP\/" $outfile | head -1 | grep " 200 " >/dev/null
+  local rccurl=$?
+
+  rm -f $outfile
+  if [ $rccurl -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo
+    echo "ERROR: API request failed. CURL request did not get respond status code 200."
+    exit 4
   fi
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +136,7 @@ case ${option} in
     ;;
   *)
     echo ERROR: invalid option [${option}]
-    exit 1
+    exit 2
 esac
 done
 
@@ -133,6 +146,9 @@ echo "IMLCI_PROJECT = $IMLCI_PROJECT"
 echo "IMLCI_API_SECRET = $IMLCI_API_SECRET"
 echo
 
+echo $branch | grep '/.*/.*' >/dev/null && ( echo "WARNING: Do NOT use a branch containing a slash [/] in the name"; echo )
+
+
 echo ACTION: $apiAction
 case $apiAction in
 
@@ -153,7 +169,7 @@ case $apiAction in
     ;;
   *)
     echo "ERROR: unknown action [$apiAction]"
-    exit 2
+    exit 3
 esac
 
 rc=$?
@@ -162,4 +178,4 @@ echo $line
 date
 echo rc=$rc
 
-exit $rc
\ No newline at end of file
+exit $rc