diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/static/index.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/static/index.js
index fb9c16683c..cda18fbea5 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/static/index.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/static/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const setBuilderToken = require("../../../utilities/builder/setBuilderToken")
 const {
   loadHandlebarsFile,
   NODE_MODULES_PATH,
+  TOP_LEVEL_PATH,
 } = require("../../../utilities/fileSystem")
 const env = require("../../../environment")
 const fileProcessor = require("../../../utilities/fileSystem/processor")
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ async function checkForSelfHostedURL(ctx) {
 const COMP_LIB_BASE_APP_VERSION = "0.2.5"
 
 exports.serveBuilder = async function(ctx) {
-  let builderPath = resolve(NODE_MODULES_PATH, "builder")
+  let builderPath = resolve(TOP_LEVEL_PATH, "builder")
   if (ctx.file === "index.html") {
     await setBuilderToken(ctx)
   }
@@ -94,13 +95,7 @@ exports.serveApp = async function(ctx) {
 
 exports.serveClientLibrary = async function(ctx) {
   return send(ctx, "budibase-client.js", {
-    root: join(
-      NODE_MODULES_PATH,
-      "node_modules",
-      "@budibase",
-      "client",
-      "dist"
-    ),
+    root: join(NODE_MODULES_PATH, "@budibase", "client", "dist"),
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/fileSystem/index.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/fileSystem/index.js
index 17169528d3..d84c6deb8a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/fileSystem/index.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/fileSystem/index.js
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ const fetch = require("node-fetch")
 const DEFAULT_AUTOMATION_BUCKET =
   "https://prod-budi-automations.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com"
 const DEFAULT_AUTOMATION_DIRECTORY = ".budibase-automations"
-const NODE_MODULES_PATH = join(__dirname, "..", "..", "..", "node_modules")
+const TOP_LEVEL_PATH = join(__dirname, "..", "..", "..")
+const NODE_MODULES_PATH = join(TOP_LEVEL_PATH, "node_modules")
 
 /**
  * The single stack system (Cloud and Builder) should not make use of the file system where possible,
@@ -54,11 +55,10 @@ exports.checkDevelopmentEnvironment = () => {
   if (!isDev()) {
     return
   }
-  let error
   if (!fs.existsSync(budibaseTempDir())) {
-    error =
-      "Please run a build before attempting to run server independently to fill 'tmp' directory."
+    fs.mkdirSync(budibaseTempDir())
   }
+  let error
   if (!fs.existsSync(join(process.cwd(), ".env"))) {
     error = "Must run via yarn once to generate environment."
   }
@@ -237,4 +237,5 @@ exports.cleanup = appIds => {
 exports.upload = upload
 exports.retrieve = retrieve
 exports.retrieveToTmp = retrieveToTmp
+exports.TOP_LEVEL_PATH = TOP_LEVEL_PATH
 exports.NODE_MODULES_PATH = NODE_MODULES_PATH