diff --git a/matlab/JET/gdat_jet.m b/matlab/JET/gdat_jet.m
index 17a407b30d6b5ab3b06868257eec3482b935332f..2197e8fd37b0b7eb7e9da8f31fb9dbd4824c0595 100644
--- a/matlab/JET/gdat_jet.m
+++ b/matlab/JET/gdat_jet.m
@@ -69,11 +69,13 @@ error_status=1;
 % construct main default parameters structure
 gdat_params.data_request = '';
 default_machine = 'jet';
+default_user = getenv('USER');
 
 gdat_params.machine=default_machine;
 gdat_params.doplot = 0;
 gdat_params.nverbose = 1;
-keyboard
+gdat_params.jet_user = default_user;
+
 % construct list of keywords from global set of keywords and specific JET set
 % get data_request names from centralized table
 %%% data_request_names = get_data_request_names; % do not use xlsx anymore but scan respective machine_requests_mapping.m files
@@ -259,7 +261,7 @@ gdat_params = gdat_data.gdat_params;
 if strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'signal')
   ppftype = mapping_for_jet.expression{1};
   tracename = [mapping_for_jet.expression{2} '/' mapping_for_jet.expression{3}];
-  [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename);
+  [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename,gdat_params.jet_user);
   if e==0
     if gdat_params.nverbose>=3; disp(['error after rda_jet in signal with data_request_eff= ' data_request_eff]); end
     return
@@ -559,7 +561,6 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'switchcase')
     i = channel_index_list(1);
     aa.data = [];
     for i=channel_index_list(2:end)
-      mdsconnect('mdsplus.jet.efda.org');
       if isempty(aa.data)
         params_eff.data_request = {'ppf','kk3',num2str(i,'te%.2d')};
         aa = gdat_jet(shot,params_eff);
@@ -567,19 +568,18 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'switchcase')
           aa_data_start(i,:) = reshape(aa.data,1,numel(aa.data));
           aa.data = aa_data_start;
           params_eff.data_request = {'ppf','kk3',num2str(i,'rc%.2d')};
-          mdsconnect('mdsplus.jet.efda.org');
           gdat_data.rc = gdat_jet(shot,params_eff);
           rc_data(i,:) = reshape(gdat_data.rc.data,1,numel(gdat_data.rc.data));
           gdat_data.rc.data = rc_data;
         end
       else
         % assume same time for all
+	mdsconnect(['ssh://' gdat_params.jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
         rda_data_request = ['ppf/kk3/' num2str(i,'te%.2d')];
         bb = mdsvalue(['_bb=jet("' rda_data_request '",' num2str(shot) ')']);
         if ~isempty(bb) && numel(bb)==size(aa.data,2)
           aa.data(i,:) = bb;
         end
-        mdsconnect('mdsplus.jet.efda.org');
         rda_data_request = ['ppf/kk3/' num2str(i,'rc%.2d')];
         bb = mdsvalue(['_bb=jet("' rda_data_request '",' num2str(shot) ')']);
         if ~isempty(bb) && numel(bb)==size(gdat_data.rc.data,2)
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'switchcase')
     nodenameeff=[{'ppf'},{'EFIT'},{'Q'}];
     ppftype = nodenameeff{1};
     tracename = [nodenameeff{2} '/' nodenameeff{3}];
-    [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename);
+    [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename,gdat_params.jet_user);
     if e==0
       if gdat_params.nverbose>=3; disp(['error after rda_jet in signal with data_request_eff= ' data_request_eff]); end
       return
@@ -1521,7 +1521,7 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'switchcase')
       nodenameeff=[{'ppf'},{'EFIT'},{'FTOR'}];
       ppftype = nodenameeff{1};
       tracename = [nodenameeff{2} '/' nodenameeff{3}];
-      [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename);
+      [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename,gdat_params.jet_user);
       % FTOR is on psinorm: move to rhopolnorm
       x = sqrt(x);
       if e==0
@@ -1572,11 +1572,11 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_jet.method,'switchcase')
       nodenameeff=[{'ppf'},{'EFIT'},{'VJAC'}]; % dVdpsi?
       ppftype = nodenameeff{1};
       tracename = [nodenameeff{2} '/' nodenameeff{3}];
-      [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename);
+      [a,x,t,d,e]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype,tracename,gdat_params.jet_user);
       nodenameeff2=[{'ppf'},{'EFIT'},{'VOLM'}];
       ppftype2 = nodenameeff2{1};
       tracename2 = [nodenameeff2{2} '/' nodenameeff2{3}];
-      [a2,x2,t2,d2,e2]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype2,tracename2);
+      [a2,x2,t2,d2,e2]=rda_jet(shot,ppftype2,tracename2,gdat_params.jet_user);
       if e==0 || e2==0
         if gdat_params.nverbose>=3;
           disp(['error after rda_jet in signal with nodenameeff= ' nodenameeff]);
diff --git a/matlab/JET/rda_jet.m b/matlab/JET/rda_jet.m
index 7dd31b3888ce46de0798a902ec3eb35f7243ab97..70c6de8c29fe49a903dff637e8f90dafe558e046 100644
--- a/matlab/JET/rda_jet.m
+++ b/matlab/JET/rda_jet.m
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ function [data,x,time,hsig,error]=rda_jet(shot,pftype,tracename,varargin);
 % 2D arrays: assumes data vs (x,time)
 % 3D arrays: assumes data vs (x,time,hsig) (for mdsplus)
 %
-% varargin{1}: time interval or timevalue, will get data closest to that time or within that time interval
+% varargin{1}: jet_username
+% varargin{2}: time interval or timevalue, will get data closest to that time or within that time interval
 %              (DOES NOT WORK YET)
 %
 % examples:
@@ -21,9 +22,13 @@ function [data,x,time,hsig,error]=rda_jet(shot,pftype,tracename,varargin);
 
 global usemdsplus
 if isempty(usemdsplus); usemdsplus=1; end
+jet_user=[];
+if nargin>=4 && ~isempty(varargin{1}) && ischar(varargin{1})
+  jet_user=varargin{1};
+end
 time_int=[];
-if nargin>=4 & ~isempty(varargin{1})
-  time_int=varargin{1};
+if nargin>=5 && ~isempty(varargin{2})
+  time_int=varargin{2};
 end
 
 if usemdsplus
@@ -32,7 +37,7 @@ if usemdsplus
   if ~unix('test -d /home/duval/mdsplus')
 %    addpath('/home/duval/mdsplus')
   end
-  mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+  mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
   mdsvalue('reset_public()');
   % defines trace to fetch
   % after '?' specific details
@@ -111,7 +116,7 @@ if usemdsplus
     traceeff=[traceeff '/' num2str(seq)];
   end
   user=getenv('USER');
-  mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+  mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
   eval(['[data,error]=mdsvalue(''_rdaeff' user '=jet("' traceeff '",' num2str(shot) ')'');'])
   hsig=[];
   ss=size(data);
@@ -120,13 +125,13 @@ if usemdsplus
   nbofdim=max(nbofdim,1);
   switch nbofdim
   case 1
-   mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+   mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['time=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',0)'');']);
     x=[];
     if isempty(time) & length(data)>1e6 & strcmpi(type,'lpf') & strcmpi(diag,'kc1f')
       mdsdisconnect;
-      mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
-      mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+      mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
+      mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
       eval(['aaa=mdsvalue(''_tc91=jet("jpf/da/c1-tc91",' num2str(shot) ');1'');'])
       taaa=mdsvalue('_ttc91=dim_of(_tc91,0);_ttc91[0]');
       time=linspace(taaa+1e-6,taaa+4,length(data))';
@@ -135,23 +140,23 @@ if usemdsplus
       ichannel=findstr(':00',maintrace);
       iblock=str2num(maintrace(ichannel+3));
       mdsdisconnect;
-      mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+      mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
       taaa=39.9989+(iblock-1)*8;
       time=linspace(taaa,taaa+8-4e-6,length(data))';
     end
   case 2
-    mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+    mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['x=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',0)'');']);
-    mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+    mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['time=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',1)'');']);
 
   case 3
-    mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+    mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['x=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',0)'');']);
-    mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+    mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['time=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',1)'');']);
     disp('3rd dimension in hsig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!')
-    mdsconnect('ssh://osauter@mdsplus.jetdata.eu');
+    mdsconnect(['ssh://' jet_user '@mdsplus.jetdata.eu']);
     eval(['hsig=mdsvalue(''dim_of(_rdaeff' user ',2)'');']);
 
   otherwise