Index: /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/include/relastro.h
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/include/relastro.h	(revision 39435)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/include/relastro.h	(revision 39436)
@@ -259,4 +259,5 @@
 int    REGION_HOST_ID;
 int    PARALLEL_REGIONS_MANUAL;
+char  *MANUAL_UNIQUER;
 
 int          HOST_ID;
Index: /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/args.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/args.c	(revision 39435)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/args.c	(revision 39436)
@@ -51,4 +51,12 @@
     remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
     RELASTRO_OP = OP_UPDATE_OFFSETS;
+  }
+
+  // elements needed for parallel regions / parallel images
+  MANUAL_UNIQUER = NULL;
+  if ((N = get_argument (argc, argv, "-manual-uniquer"))) {
+    remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
+    MANUAL_UNIQUER = strcreate (argv[N]);
+    remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
   }
 
Index: /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/load_catalogs.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/load_catalogs.c	(revision 39435)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ohana.20160226/src/relastro/src/load_catalogs.c	(revision 39436)
@@ -142,5 +142,10 @@
   int TIME = time(NULL);
   int PID = getpid();
-  snprintf (uniquer, 12, "%05d.%05d", PID, TIME % 100000);
+
+  if (PARALLEL_MANUAL && MANUAL_UNIQUER) {
+    snprintf (uniquer, 12, "%11s", MANUAL_UNIQUER);
+  } else {
+    snprintf (uniquer, 12, "%05d.%05d", PID, TIME % 100000);
+  }
 
   // load the list of hosts