diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
index e020c5f9da..44007acde7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@ module.exports = opts => {
 
 const run = async opts => {
   try {
-    opts.dir = xPlatHomeDir(opts.dir)
-    const bbconfig = dotenv.config({ path: resolve(opts.dir, ".env") })
-    console.log(bbconfig)
+    setup(opts)
     await createAppInstance(opts)
     await createEmptyAppPackage(opts)
     exec(`cd ${join(opts.dir, opts.applicationId)} && npm install`)
@@ -25,6 +23,13 @@ const run = async opts => {
   }
 }
 
+const setup = opts => {
+  opts.dir = xPlatHomeDir(opts.dir)
+  process.env.BUDIBASE_DIR = opts.dir
+  const bbconfig = dotenv.config({ path: resolve(opts.dir, ".env") })
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(bbconfig))
+}
+
 const createAppInstance = async opts => {
   const createAppCtx = {
     params: { clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID },
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ const createAppInstance = async opts => {
   // this cannot be a top level require as it will cause
   // the environment module to be loaded prematurely
   const instanceController = require("@budibase/server/src/api/controllers/instance")
-  await instanceController.create({
+  const createInstCtx = {
     params: {
       clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
       applicationId: opts.applicationId,
@@ -53,9 +58,11 @@ const createAppInstance = async opts => {
     request: {
       body: { name: `dev-${process.env.CLIENT_ID}` },
     },
-  })
+  }
+  await instanceController.create(createInstCtx)
 
   console.log(chalk.green(`Default Instance Created`))
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(createInstCtx.body))
 }
 
 const createEmptyAppPackage = async opts => {