diff --git a/src/bootsupport/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm b/src/bootsupport/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
index e147b4d1..59fd14c7 100644
--- a/src/bootsupport/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/bootsupport/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
@@ -539,6 +539,8 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                     set o_targetroot ""
                     set o_rel_sourceroot ""
                     set o_rel_targetroot ""
+                    set o_record_list [list]
+
                     #todo - validate punkcheck file location further??
                     set punkcheck_folder [file dirname $o_checkfile]
                     if {![file isdirectory $punkcheck_folder]} {
@@ -546,6 +548,47 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                     }
 
                     my load_all_records
+                    if {![llength $o_record_list]} {
+                        puts stderr "\x1b\[32mNo existing records found in punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' for installer '$installername'. Starting with empty record list.\x1b\[m"
+                    } else {
+                        #verify no duplicate installer records for this installer.
+                        #JMN
+                        set sanity_dict [dict create]
+                        set insane ""
+                        foreach rec $o_record_list {
+                            if {[dict get $rec tag] eq "INSTALLER"} {
+                                set name [dict get $rec -name]
+                                if {[dict exists $sanity_dict $name]} {
+                                    #todo - warn - duplicate record for same targetlist - shouldn't happen as we should be using get_file_record to find existing records
+                                    puts stderr "\x1b\[31mpunkcheck::recordlist::records_as_target_dict  - multiple records with same targetlist '$tgtlist'\x1b\[m"
+                                    set insane "$name"
+                                    break
+                                }
+                                dict set sanity_dict $name {}
+                            }
+                        }
+                        if {$insane ne ""} {
+                            set msg     "Sanity check: punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' contains multiple records for INSTALLER -name '$insane'."
+                            append msg \n "This may indicate a problem such as multiple concurrent installtrack instances using the same punkcheck file,"
+                            append msg \n " or a previous installtrack instance that did not complete properly."
+                            append msg \n " Please verify that this is expected and safe to proceed before confirming with 'yes'."
+                            set answer [punk::lib::askuser $msg]
+                            if {$answer ne "yes"} {
+                                error "Aborting due to sanity check failure. User did not confirm with 'yes'."
+                            }
+                            if {[file exists $o_checkfile] && [file isfile $o_checkfile]} {
+                                file delete $o_checkfile
+                            }
+                            if {[file exists $o_checkfile]} {
+                                error "Failed to delete punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' after sanity check failure. Please investigate and resolve the issue before proceeding."
+                            }
+                            set o_record_list [list]
+                        } else {
+                             puts stderr "\x1b\[32mSanity check passed: no duplicate INSTALLER records found for installer '$installername' in punkcheck file '$o_checkfile'.\x1b\[m"
+                        }
+                        unset sanity_dict
+                    }
+
                     set resultinfo [punkcheck::recordlist::get_installer_record $o_name $o_record_list]
                     set existing_header_posn [dict get $resultinfo position]
                     if {$existing_header_posn == -1} {
@@ -2164,10 +2207,10 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                 return [dict create changed $changed unchanged $unchanged]
             }
 
-            #assume only one for name - use first encountered
+            #assume only one for name - use first encountered?
             proc get_installer_record {name record_list} {
                 set posn 0
-                set found_posn -1
+                set found_posns [list]
                 set record ""
                 #puts ">>>> checking [llength $record_list] punkcheck records"
                 foreach rec $record_list {
@@ -2175,12 +2218,20 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                         if {[dict get $rec -name] eq $name} {
                             set found_posn $posn
                             set record $rec
-                            break
+                            lappend found_posns $posn
                         }
                     }
                     incr posn
                 }
-                return [list position $found_posn record $record]
+                if {[llength $found_posns] > 1} {
+                    error "punkcheck::recordlist::get_installer_record - multiple installer records with name '$name' found at positions $found_posns"
+                } elseif {[llength $found_posns] == 0} {
+                    return [list position -1  record ""]
+                } else {
+                    #single record found
+                    return [list position [lindex $found_posn 0] record $record]
+                }
+
             }
 
             proc new_installer_record {name args} {
diff --git a/src/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm b/src/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
index e147b4d1..59fd14c7 100644
--- a/src/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/modules/punkcheck-0.1.0.tm
@@ -539,6 +539,8 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                     set o_targetroot ""
                     set o_rel_sourceroot ""
                     set o_rel_targetroot ""
+                    set o_record_list [list]
+
                     #todo - validate punkcheck file location further??
                     set punkcheck_folder [file dirname $o_checkfile]
                     if {![file isdirectory $punkcheck_folder]} {
@@ -546,6 +548,47 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                     }
 
                     my load_all_records
+                    if {![llength $o_record_list]} {
+                        puts stderr "\x1b\[32mNo existing records found in punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' for installer '$installername'. Starting with empty record list.\x1b\[m"
+                    } else {
+                        #verify no duplicate installer records for this installer.
+                        #JMN
+                        set sanity_dict [dict create]
+                        set insane ""
+                        foreach rec $o_record_list {
+                            if {[dict get $rec tag] eq "INSTALLER"} {
+                                set name [dict get $rec -name]
+                                if {[dict exists $sanity_dict $name]} {
+                                    #todo - warn - duplicate record for same targetlist - shouldn't happen as we should be using get_file_record to find existing records
+                                    puts stderr "\x1b\[31mpunkcheck::recordlist::records_as_target_dict  - multiple records with same targetlist '$tgtlist'\x1b\[m"
+                                    set insane "$name"
+                                    break
+                                }
+                                dict set sanity_dict $name {}
+                            }
+                        }
+                        if {$insane ne ""} {
+                            set msg     "Sanity check: punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' contains multiple records for INSTALLER -name '$insane'."
+                            append msg \n "This may indicate a problem such as multiple concurrent installtrack instances using the same punkcheck file,"
+                            append msg \n " or a previous installtrack instance that did not complete properly."
+                            append msg \n " Please verify that this is expected and safe to proceed before confirming with 'yes'."
+                            set answer [punk::lib::askuser $msg]
+                            if {$answer ne "yes"} {
+                                error "Aborting due to sanity check failure. User did not confirm with 'yes'."
+                            }
+                            if {[file exists $o_checkfile] && [file isfile $o_checkfile]} {
+                                file delete $o_checkfile
+                            }
+                            if {[file exists $o_checkfile]} {
+                                error "Failed to delete punkcheck file '$o_checkfile' after sanity check failure. Please investigate and resolve the issue before proceeding."
+                            }
+                            set o_record_list [list]
+                        } else {
+                             puts stderr "\x1b\[32mSanity check passed: no duplicate INSTALLER records found for installer '$installername' in punkcheck file '$o_checkfile'.\x1b\[m"
+                        }
+                        unset sanity_dict
+                    }
+
                     set resultinfo [punkcheck::recordlist::get_installer_record $o_name $o_record_list]
                     set existing_header_posn [dict get $resultinfo position]
                     if {$existing_header_posn == -1} {
@@ -2164,10 +2207,10 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                 return [dict create changed $changed unchanged $unchanged]
             }
 
-            #assume only one for name - use first encountered
+            #assume only one for name - use first encountered?
             proc get_installer_record {name record_list} {
                 set posn 0
-                set found_posn -1
+                set found_posns [list]
                 set record ""
                 #puts ">>>> checking [llength $record_list] punkcheck records"
                 foreach rec $record_list {
@@ -2175,12 +2218,20 @@ namespace eval punkcheck {
                         if {[dict get $rec -name] eq $name} {
                             set found_posn $posn
                             set record $rec
-                            break
+                            lappend found_posns $posn
                         }
                     }
                     incr posn
                 }
-                return [list position $found_posn record $record]
+                if {[llength $found_posns] > 1} {
+                    error "punkcheck::recordlist::get_installer_record - multiple installer records with name '$name' found at positions $found_posns"
+                } elseif {[llength $found_posns] == 0} {
+                    return [list position -1  record ""]
+                } else {
+                    #single record found
+                    return [list position [lindex $found_posn 0] record $record]
+                }
+
             }
 
             proc new_installer_record {name args} {