diff --git a/deployment/www/go.sh b/deployment/www/go.sh
index 09904f0..6a57fc4 100755
--- a/deployment/www/go.sh
+++ b/deployment/www/go.sh
@@ -85,15 +85,66 @@ done
 ./stop_docker_stacks.sh
 
 
+# TODO check if there are any other stacks that are left running (other than reverse proxy)
+# if so, this may mean the user has disabled one or more domains and that existing sites/services
+# are still running. We should prompt the user of this and quit. They have to go manually docker stack remove these.
+if [[ $(docker stack ls | wc -l) -gt 2 ]]; then
+    echo "WARNING! You still have stacks running. If you have modified the SITES list, you may need to go remove the docker stacks runnong the remote machine."
+    echo "exiting."
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 
 
+# ok, the backend stacks are stopped.
+if [ "$RESTART_FRONT_END" = true ]; then
+    # remove the nginx stack
+    if docker stack list --format "{{.Name}}" | grep -q reverse-proxy; then
+        sleep 2
 
+        docker stack rm reverse-proxy
 
+        # wait for all docker containers to stop.
+        # TODO see if there's a way to check for this.
+        sleep 15
+        
+    fi
 
+    # generate the certs and grab a backup
+    if [ "$RUN_CERT_RENEWAL" = true ]; then
+        ./generate_certs.sh
+    fi
 
+    # let's backup all our letsencrypt certs
+    export APP="letsencrypt"
+    for DOMAIN_NAME in ${DOMAIN_LIST//,/ }; do
+        export DOMAIN_NAME="$DOMAIN_NAME"
+        export SITE_PATH="$SITES_PATH/$DOMAIN_NAME"
 
+        # source the site path so we know what features it has.
+        source "$RESPOSITORY_PATH/reset_env.sh"
+        source "$SITE_PATH/site_definition"
+        source "$RESPOSITORY_PATH/domain_env.sh"
 
+        # these variable are used by both backup/restore scripts.
+        export REMOTE_BACKUP_PATH="$REMOTE_HOME/backups/www/$APP/$DOMAIN_IDENTIFIER"
+        export REMOTE_SOURCE_BACKUP_PATH="$REMOTE_HOME/$APP/$DOMAIN_NAME"
+
+        # ensure our local backup path exists so we can pull down the duplicity archive to the management machine.
+        export LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH="$SITE_PATH/backups/www/$APP"
+        mkdir -p "$LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH"
+
+        if [ "$RESTORE_WWW" = true ]; then
+            sleep 5
+            echo "STARTING restore_path.sh for letsencrypt."
+            ./restore_path.sh
+            #ssh "$PRIMARY_WWW_FQDN" sudo chown ubuntu:ubuntu "$REMOTE_HOME/$APP"
+        elif [ "$BACKUP_APPS"  = true ]; then
+            # if we're not restoring, then we may or may not back up.
+            ./backup_path.sh
+        fi
+    done
+fi
 
 
 # if [ "$DEPLOY_ONION_SITE" = true ]; then
diff --git a/deployment/www/stop_docker_stacks.sh b/deployment/www/stop_docker_stacks.sh
index 23b7595..a32526f 100755
--- a/deployment/www/stop_docker_stacks.sh
+++ b/deployment/www/stop_docker_stacks.sh
@@ -47,52 +47,3 @@ for DOMAIN_NAME in ${DOMAIN_LIST//,/ }; do
         done
     done
 done
-
-if [ "$RESTART_FRONT_END" = true ]; then
-    # remove the nginx stack
-    if docker stack list --format "{{.Name}}" | grep -q reverse-proxy; then
-        sleep 2
-
-        docker stack rm reverse-proxy
-
-        # wait for all docker containers to stop.
-        # TODO see if there's a way to check for this.
-        sleep 15
-        
-    fi
-
-    # generate the certs and grab a backup
-    if [ "$RUN_CERT_RENEWAL" = true ]; then
-        ./generate_certs.sh
-    fi
-
-    # let's backup all our letsencrypt certs
-    export APP="letsencrypt"
-    for DOMAIN_NAME in ${DOMAIN_LIST//,/ }; do
-        export DOMAIN_NAME="$DOMAIN_NAME"
-        export SITE_PATH="$SITES_PATH/$DOMAIN_NAME"
-
-        # source the site path so we know what features it has.
-        source "$RESPOSITORY_PATH/reset_env.sh"
-        source "$SITE_PATH/site_definition"
-        source "$RESPOSITORY_PATH/domain_env.sh"
-
-        # these variable are used by both backup/restore scripts.
-        export REMOTE_BACKUP_PATH="$REMOTE_HOME/backups/www/$APP/$DOMAIN_IDENTIFIER"
-        export REMOTE_SOURCE_BACKUP_PATH="$REMOTE_HOME/$APP/$DOMAIN_NAME"
-
-        # ensure our local backup path exists so we can pull down the duplicity archive to the management machine.
-        export LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH="$SITE_PATH/backups/www/$APP"
-        mkdir -p "$LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH"
-
-        if [ "$RESTORE_WWW" = true ]; then
-            sleep 5
-            echo "STARTING restore_path.sh for letsencrypt."
-            ./restore_path.sh
-            #ssh "$PRIMARY_WWW_FQDN" sudo chown ubuntu:ubuntu "$REMOTE_HOME/$APP"
-        elif [ "$BACKUP_APPS"  = true ]; then
-            # if we're not restoring, then we may or may not back up.
-            ./backup_path.sh
-        fi
-    done
-fi