diff --git a/automated install/basic-install.sh b/automated install/basic-install.sh
index abeb7fbe..60ff4ab9 100755
--- a/automated install/basic-install.sh	
+++ b/automated install/basic-install.sh	
@@ -88,11 +88,11 @@ if [[ $(command -v apt-get) ]]; then
   # fixes for dependancy differences
   # Debian 7 doesn't have iproute2 use iproute
   ${PKG_MANAGER} install --dry-run iproute2 > /dev/null 2>&1 && IPROUTE_PKG="iproute2" || IPROUTE_PKG="iproute"
-  # Ubuntu 16.04 LTS php / php5 fix
-  ${PKG_MANAGER} install --dry-run php5 > /dev/null 2>&1 && phpVer="php5" || phpVer="php"
+  # Prefer the php metapackage if it's there, fall back on the php5 pacakges
+  ${PKG_MANAGER} install --dry-run php > /dev/null 2>&1 && phpVer="php" || phpVer="php5"
   # #########################################
   INSTALLER_DEPS=( apt-utils whiptail git dhcpcd5)
-  PIHOLE_DEPS=( dnsutils bc dnsmasq lighttpd ${phpVer}-common ${phpVer}-cgi curl unzip wget sudo netcat cron ${IPROUTE_PKG} )
+  PIHOLE_DEPS=( iputils-ping lsof dnsutils bc dnsmasq lighttpd ${phpVer}-common ${phpVer}-cgi curl unzip wget sudo netcat cron ${IPROUTE_PKG} )
   LIGHTTPD_USER="www-data"
   LIGHTTPD_GROUP="www-data"
   LIGHTTPD_CFG="lighttpd.conf.debian"