diff --git a/aws_lambda/aws_lambda.py b/aws_lambda/aws_lambda.py
index 4bdff31..3dc62a3 100755
--- a/aws_lambda/aws_lambda.py
+++ b/aws_lambda/aws_lambda.py
@@ -171,8 +171,12 @@ def build(src, local_package=None):
     function_name = cfg.get('function_name')
     output_filename = "{0}-{1}.zip".format(timestamp(), function_name)
 
+    # Handle if we needed to add an "extra-index-url" to our requirements file
+    # to successfully download required packages.
+    extra_index_url = cfg.get('extra_index_url', None)
+
     path_to_temp = mkdtemp(prefix='aws-lambda')
-    pip_install_to_target(path_to_temp, local_package)
+    pip_install_to_target(path_to_temp, local_package, extra_index_url)
 
     # Gracefully handle whether ".zip" was included in the filename or not.
     output_filename = ('{0}.zip'.format(output_filename)
@@ -233,7 +237,7 @@ def get_handler_filename(handler):
     return '{0}.py'.format(module_name)
 
 
-def pip_install_to_target(path, local_package=None):
+def pip_install_to_target(path, local_package=None, extra_index_url=None):
     """For a given active virtualenv, gather all installed pip packages then
     copy (re-install) them to the path provided.
 
@@ -252,7 +256,13 @@ def pip_install_to_target(path, local_package=None):
             r = r.replace('-e ','')
 
         print('Installing {package}'.format(package=r))
-        pip.main(['install', r, '-t', path, '--ignore-installed'])
+        pip_command_arguments = ['install', r, '-t', path, '--ignore-installed']
+
+        # Add optional pip arguments (--extra-index-url) to the base pip command
+        if extra_index_url is not None and extra_index_url != '':
+            pip_command_arguments += ['--extra-index-url', extra_index_url]
+
+        pip.main(pip_command_arguments)
 
     if local_package is not None:
         pip.main(['install', local_package, '-t', path])
@@ -357,8 +367,8 @@ def function_exists(cfg, function_name):
     aws_secret_access_key = cfg.get('aws_secret_access_key')
     client = get_client('lambda', aws_access_key_id, aws_secret_access_key,
                         cfg.get('region'))
-    functions = client.list_functions().get('Functions', [])
-    for fn in functions:
-        if fn.get('FunctionName') == function_name:
-            return True
-    return False
+    try:
+        client.get_function(FunctionName=function_name)
+        return True
+    except botocore.errorfactory.ResourceNotFoundException as e:
+        return False
diff --git a/aws_lambda/project_templates/config.yaml b/aws_lambda/project_templates/config.yaml
index 7f39794..76cace0 100644
--- a/aws_lambda/project_templates/config.yaml
+++ b/aws_lambda/project_templates/config.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ description: My first lambda function
 aws_access_key_id:
 aws_secret_access_key:
 
+# Lambda Configuration Settings
+# role: lambda_basic_execution
 # dist_directory: dist
 # timeout: 15
 # memory_size: 512
+
+# (Optional) Pip Settings
+# extra_index_url:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 683f195..a1ec6fc 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-boto3==1.4.1
-botocore==1.4.61
+boto3==1.4.4
+botocore==1.5.27
 click==6.6
 docutils==0.12
 futures==3.0.5