diff --git a/release_tests/lookuptable-testing/test_tables.sh b/release_tests/lookuptable-testing/test_tables.sh
index 4ee42d8..3f81733 100755
--- a/release_tests/lookuptable-testing/test_tables.sh
+++ b/release_tests/lookuptable-testing/test_tables.sh
@@ -1,32 +1,29 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# testing lookup tables by analysis
-# a run and see if the table tests are
-# survived at the start of the run
-# (look at the log files for the lines after
-# " lookup table file sanity check"
-#
-
-VERSION=$(cat $VERITAS_EVNDISP_AUX_DIR/IRFVERSION)
-
-TFV6=$(find $VERITAS_EVNDISP_AUX_DIR/Tables/ -name "*.root")
-
-TESTFILE="$VERITAS_USER_DATA_DIR/analysis/Results/${VERSION}/Crab/evndisp/64080.root"
-
-for T in ${TFV6}
-do
-     echo "Running mscw analysis for $T"
-     TB=$(basename $T .root)
-
-     ODIR="$VERITAS_USER_DATA_DIR/analysis/Results/${VERSION}/table-tests/"
-     mkdir -p ${ODIR}
-     OFIL="test.$TB.mscw"
-
-     echo $TB $OFIL $ODIR
-
-     rm -f ${ODIR}/${OFIL}.log
-     ${EVNDISPSYS}/bin/mscw_energy -tablesfile ${T} -noshorttree -maxnevents=10  -arrayrecid=0 \
-                       -inputfile ${TESTFILE} \
-                       -writeReconstructedEventsOnly=1 -outputfile ${ODIR}/${OFIL}.root > ${ODIR}/${OFIL}.log
-     # (not interested in the root file with events)
-     rm -f ${ODIR}/${OFIL}.root
+# Supply a reference observation matched to the tables under test.
+VERSION=$(cat "$VERITAS_EVNDISP_AUX_DIR/IRFVERSION") || exit 1
+TESTFILE=${1:-${TESTFILE:-}}
+[[ -s $TESTFILE ]] || { echo "Usage: $0 <reference evndisp ROOT file> (or set TESTFILE)" >&2; exit 1; }
+ODIR="$VERITAS_USER_DATA_DIR/analysis/Results/$VERSION/table-tests"
+mkdir -p "$ODIR" || exit 1
+mapfile -t TABLES < <(find "$VERITAS_EVNDISP_AUX_DIR/Tables" -type f -name "${TABLE_PATTERN:-*.root}")
+((${#TABLES[@]})) || { echo "No lookup tables found" >&2; exit 1; }
+failed=0
+for T in "${TABLES[@]}"; do
+    TB=$(basename "$T" .root)
+    OFIL="$ODIR/test.$TB.mscw"
+    echo "TEST reference=$TESTFILE table=$T"
+    rm -f "$OFIL.root"
+    if ! "$EVNDISPSYS/bin/mscw_energy" -tablesfile "$T" -noshorttree -maxnevents=10 -arrayrecid=0 \
+        -inputfile "$TESTFILE" -writeReconstructedEventsOnly=1 -outputfile "$OFIL.root" > "$OFIL.log" 2>&1; then
+        echo "FAILED executable: $T" >&2
+        failed=$((failed+1))
+    elif [[ ! -s $OFIL.root ]] || ! grep -q 'survived test of table file!' "$OFIL.log"; then
+        echo "FAILED missing output/sanity marker: $T" >&2
+        failed=$((failed+1))
+    else
+        echo "PASSED table sanity: $T"
+        rm -f "$OFIL.root"
+    fi
 done
+echo "Lookup coverage: ${#TABLES[@]} tested; $failed failed"
+((failed == 0))
diff --git a/release_tests/montecarlo/irf_plotting/irf_plotting.sh b/release_tests/montecarlo/irf_plotting/irf_plotting.sh
index 7a41c35..4c096e9 100755
--- a/release_tests/montecarlo/irf_plotting/irf_plotting.sh
+++ b/release_tests/montecarlo/irf_plotting/irf_plotting.sh
@@ -13,18 +13,14 @@ if [ ! -n "$1" ]; then
    exit
 fi
 
-#### TEMP FIXED VALUES
-CUT="NTel3-PointSource-Hard-TMVA-BDT"
-CUT="NTel2-PointSource-Soft-TMVA-BDT"
-CUT="NTel2-PointSource-Moderate-TMVA-BDT"
-CUT="NTel2-PointSource-Moderate"
-echo "WARNING: CUT is hardwired to $CUT (for now)"
-# Comparison plots - version and simtype hardwired
-COMPAREVERSION="v492"
-COMPARESIMTYPE="CARE_202404"
-COMPARECUT="NTel2-PointSource-ModerateXGB"
-#### (END TEMP FIXED VALUES)
-
+# Optional comparison is explicit in the invocation environment.
+COMPAREVERSION=${COMPAREVERSION:-}
+COMPARESIMTYPE=${COMPARESIMTYPE:-}
+COMPARECUT=${COMPARECUT:-}
+mapfile -t CUTLIST < <(awk '$1 == "*" && $2 == "CUT" {print $3}' "$1")
+((${#CUTLIST[@]})) || { echo "No CUT entries in $1" >&2; exit 1; }
+TESTED=0
+SKIPPED=0
 # Analysis type
 ANATYPE="${VERITAS_ANALYSIS_TYPE:0:2}"
 # Eventdisplay version
@@ -55,11 +51,10 @@ if [[ ! -z  $VERITAS_ANALYSIS_TYPE ]]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-ODIR="../../../../EventDisplay_Release_${VERSION}/irf_plotting/${ANALYSISTYPE}${DIRRECOTYPE}/${SIMTYPE}/${CUT}_ATM${ATMO}"
-mkdir -p ${ODIR}
-
-DDIR="$VERITAS_IRFPRODUCTION_DIR/${VERSION}/${ANATYPE}/${SIMTYPE}"
+DDIR="$VERITAS_IRFPRODUCTION_DIR/${VERSION}/${ANALYSISTYPE}/${SIMTYPE}"
 
+for CUT in "${CUTLIST[@]}"; do
+PLOT_BASE_DIR="${RELEASE_OUTPUT_DIR:-../../../../EventDisplay_Release_${VERSION}/irf_plotting}/${ANALYSISTYPE}${DIRRECOTYPE}/${SIMTYPE}/${CUT}"
 for Z in "${MCZE[@]}"
 do
     for W in "${MCWOFF[@]}"
@@ -73,12 +68,23 @@ do
                 fi
                 for A in "${ATMO[@]}"
                 do
-                    if [[ ${E} == "V6_2016_2017" ]] && [[ ${A} == "61" ]]; then
+                    ODIR="$PLOT_BASE_DIR/${E}_ATM${A}"
+                    mkdir -p "$ODIR"
+                    if true; then
                         IRFDIR="${DDIR}/${E}_ATM${A}_gamma/EffectiveAreas_Cut-${CUT}_DISP"
                         IRFFILE="EffArea-${SIMTYPE}-${E}-ID0-Ze${Z}deg-${W}wob-${N}-Cut-${CUT}"
                         echo "IRFDIR $IRFDIR"
                         echo "IRFFILE $IRFFILE"
+                        if [[ ! -s "$IRFDIR/$IRFFILE.root" ]]; then
+                            echo "SKIPPED missing $E ATM$A $CUT Ze$Z Woff$W NSB$N: $IRFDIR/$IRFFILE.root"
+                            SKIPPED=$((SKIPPED+1))
+                            continue
+                        fi
+                        echo "TESTED $E ATM$A $CUT Ze$Z Woff$W NSB$N"
+                        TESTED=$((TESTED+1))
                         if [[ -n $COMPAREVERSION ]]; then
+                            COMPARESIMTYPE=${COMPARESIMTYPE:-$SIMTYPE}
+                            COMPARECUT=${COMPARECUT:-$CUT}
                             COMP_IRFDIR=${IRFDIR//"$VERSION"/"$COMPAREVERSION"}
                             COMP_IRFDIR=${COMP_IRFDIR//"$SIMTYPE"/"$COMPARESIMTYPE"}
                             COMP_IRFFILE=${IRFFILE//"$SIMTYPE"/"$COMPARESIMTYPE"}
@@ -97,3 +103,7 @@ do
         done
     done
 done
+
+done
+echo "IRF coverage: $TESTED tested; $SKIPPED missing combinations skipped"
+((TESTED > 0)) || exit 1