diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/index.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/index.js
index 4a25fbd8b2..f387a8d203 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/index.js
@@ -11,13 +11,6 @@ module.exports = {
       default: "~/.budibase",
       alias: "d",
     })
-    yargs.positional("database", {
-      type: "string",
-      describe: "use a local (PouchDB) or remote (CouchDB) database",
-      alias: "b",
-      default: "local",
-      choices: ["local", "remote"],
-    })
     yargs.positional("clientId", {
       type: "string",
       describe: "used to determine the name of the global databse",
@@ -28,7 +21,7 @@ module.exports = {
       type: "string",
       describe:
         "connection string for couch db, format: https://username:password@localhost:5984",
-      alias: "x",
+      alias: "u",
       default: "",
     })
     yargs.positional("quiet", {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/initHandler.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/initHandler.js
index 0467633ee8..c0c4ad1b9e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/initHandler.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/initHandler.js
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ const run = async opts => {
   try {
     await ensureAppDir(opts)
     await setEnvironmentVariables(opts)
-    await prompts(opts)
     await createClientDatabase(opts)
     await createDevEnvFile(opts)
     console.log(chalk.green("Budibase successfully initialised."))
@@ -24,13 +23,13 @@ const run = async opts => {
 }
 
 const setEnvironmentVariables = async opts => {
-  if (opts.database === "local") {
+  if (opts.couchDbUrl) {
+    process.env.COUCH_DB_URL = opts.couchDbUrl
+  } else {
     const dataDir = join(opts.dir, ".data")
     await ensureDir(dataDir)
     process.env.COUCH_DB_URL =
       dataDir + (dataDir.endsWith("/") || dataDir.endsWith("\\") ? "" : "/")
-  } else {
-    process.env.COUCH_DB_URL = opts.couchDbUrl
   }
 }
 
@@ -39,25 +38,6 @@ const ensureAppDir = async opts => {
   await ensureDir(opts.dir)
 }
 
-const prompts = async opts => {
-  const questions = [
-    {
-      type: "input",
-      name: "couchDbUrl",
-      message:
-        "CouchDB Connection String (e.g. https://user:password@localhost:5984): ",
-      validate: function(value) {
-        return !!value || "Please enter connection string"
-      },
-    },
-  ]
-
-  if (opts.database === "remote" && !opts.couchDbUrl) {
-    const answers = await inquirer.prompt(questions)
-    opts.couchDbUrl = answers.couchDbUrl
-  }
-}
-
 const createClientDatabase = async opts => {
   // cannot be a top level require as it
   // will cause environment module to be loaded prematurely