diff --git a/AyaNovaQBI/Integration.cs b/AyaNovaQBI/Integration.cs
index 0b7d6d3..931405b 100644
--- a/AyaNovaQBI/Integration.cs
+++ b/AyaNovaQBI/Integration.cs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace AyaNovaQBI
 
         public string Name { get; set; }
         public bool Active { get; set; }//integration apps should always check if this is true before working or not and give appropriate error if turned off
-        public string IntegrationData { get; set; }//foreign object data store for entire integration, can be used for custom data, unused by any AyaNova add-on's, expect json or xml or some other text value here
+        public string IntegrationData { get; set; } = String.Empty;//foreign object data store for entire integration, can be used for custom data, unused by any AyaNova add-on's, expect json or xml or some other text value here
 
 
         public List<IntegrationItem> Items { get; set; } = new List<IntegrationItem>();
diff --git a/AyaNovaQBI/MainForm.cs b/AyaNovaQBI/MainForm.cs
index 5c64cd9..471781e 100644
--- a/AyaNovaQBI/MainForm.cs
+++ b/AyaNovaQBI/MainForm.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ namespace AyaNovaQBI
                 }
                 Close();
             }
+            else
+            {
+                //check if setup is required
+                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(util.QBIntegration.IntegrationData) || util.QBIntegration.Items.Count == 0)
+                {
+                    MessageBox.Show("STUB: mainform, SETUP is required for qbi, no maps, no integration data set");
+                }
+            }
             grid.Visible = true;
 
             //            grid.DataSource = util.GetInvoiceableItems();
diff --git a/AyaNovaQBI/util.cs b/AyaNovaQBI/util.cs
index cb24485..e85db31 100644
--- a/AyaNovaQBI/util.cs
+++ b/AyaNovaQBI/util.cs
@@ -565,13 +565,16 @@ namespace AyaNovaQBI
                     await PopulateQBListCache();
                     await PopulateAyaListCache();
 
+                    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(QBIntegration.IntegrationData) || QBIntegration.Items.Count == 0)
+                        return true;//all ok, no maps
+
                     //PFC - Validate settings, create if necessary (Util.ValidateSettings()) and save
                     //TODO: if QBIntegration.IntegrationData==null then nothing is set yet and it's fresh so trigger the setup stuff
                     //  but perhaps this should be done / called by mainform as this block and function is strictly related to initialization and caching only
                     //  and mapping and setup is not really part of that
                     // So, if there are no mappings and integrationData=null just return but if there are then they need to be validated here
 
-                    next: if QBIntegration.IntegrationData==null then we're done for now let mainform handle initial setup
+//                    next: if QBIntegration.IntegrationData==null then we're done for now let mainform handle initial setup
                     //also if there are no mappings then same thing, let mainform handle setup
                     //However, if there *are* integration data or mappings then they need to be validated here