diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e9597ab0..3349a1b9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@ run:
 install:
 	@go install -ldflags=$(LDFLAGS) $(ABRA)
 
-build-dev:
+build-abra:
 	@go build -v -ldflags=$(LDFLAGS) $(ABRA)
 
+build-kadabra:
+	@go build -v -ldflags=$(LDFLAGS) $(KADABRA)
+
 build:
 	@go build -v -ldflags=$(DIST_LDFLAGS) $(ABRA)
 	@go build -v -ldflags=$(DIST_LDFLAGS) $(KADABRA)
diff --git a/cli/app/new.go b/cli/app/new.go
index ac8e194c..9034b3bc 100644
--- a/cli/app/new.go
+++ b/cli/app/new.go
@@ -93,14 +93,14 @@ var appNewCommand = cli.Command{
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		cl, err := client.New(internal.NewAppServer)
-		if err != nil {
-			logrus.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
 		var secrets AppSecrets
 		var secretTable *jsontable.JSONTable
 		if internal.Secrets {
+			cl, err := client.New(internal.NewAppServer)
+			if err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
 			secrets, err := createSecrets(cl, sanitisedAppName)
 			if err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/cli/cli.go b/cli/cli.go
index 51c2342c..b38833f9 100644
--- a/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cli/cli.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/server"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/autocomplete"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
+	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/git"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/web"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
@@ -170,10 +171,10 @@ func newAbraApp(version, commit string) *cli.App {
 	app.Before = func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		paths := []string{
 			config.ABRA_DIR,
-			path.Join(config.SERVERS_DIR),
-			path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR),
-			path.Join(config.VENDOR_DIR),
-			path.Join(config.BACKUP_DIR),
+			config.SERVERS_DIR,
+			config.RECIPES_DIR,
+			config.VENDOR_DIR,
+			config.BACKUP_DIR,
 		}
 
 		for _, path := range paths {
@@ -185,6 +186,14 @@ func newAbraApp(version, commit string) *cli.App {
 			}
 		}
 
+		if _, err := os.Stat(config.CATALOGUE_DIR); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, config.CATALOGUE_JSON_REPO_NAME)
+			logrus.Warnf("local recipe catalogue is missing, retrieving now")
+			if err := git.Clone(config.CATALOGUE_DIR, url); err != nil {
+				logrus.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+
 		logrus.Debugf("abra version %s, commit %s", version, commit)
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/pkg/config/env.go b/pkg/config/env.go
index e799f58b..0874fb57 100644
--- a/pkg/config/env.go
+++ b/pkg/config/env.go
@@ -14,7 +14,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-var ABRA_DIR = os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.abra")
+// getBaseDir retrieves the Abra base directory.
+func getBaseDir() string {
+	home := os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.abra")
+	if customAbraDir, exists := os.LookupEnv("ABRA_DIR"); exists && customAbraDir != "" {
+		home = customAbraDir
+	}
+	return home
+}
+
+var ABRA_DIR = getBaseDir()
 var SERVERS_DIR = path.Join(ABRA_DIR, "servers")
 var RECIPES_DIR = path.Join(ABRA_DIR, "recipes")
 var VENDOR_DIR = path.Join(ABRA_DIR, "vendor")
diff --git a/tests/integration/dirs.bats b/tests/integration/dirs.bats
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ba86678
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/dirs.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+setup() {
+  DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
+  source "$DIR/helpers.sh"
+  _setup_env
+}
+
+@test "ABRA_DIR can be overriden" {
+  ABRA_DIR="$HOME/.abra_foo"
+
+  run $ABRA app ls
+
+  # no servers yet, so will fail. however, it will run the required code which
+  # checks if it should create these base directories and that is what we want
+  assert_failure
+
+  assert [ -d "$HOME/.abra_foo" ]
+}
+
+@test "abra directories created" {
+  run $ABRA app ls
+
+  # no servers yet, so will fail. however, it will run the required code which
+  # checks if it should create these base directories and that is what we want
+  assert_failure
+
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/servers" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/recipes" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/backups" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/vendor" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/catalogue" ]
+}
+
+@test "catalogue recipe is a git repository" {
+  run $ABRA app ls
+
+  # no servers yet, so will fail. however, it will run the required code which
+  # checks if it should create these base directories and that is what we want
+  assert_failure
+
+  assert_output --partial 'local recipe catalogue is missing'
+
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/catalogue" ]
+  assert [ -d "$ABRA_DIR/catalogue/.git" ]
+}
+
+teardown(){
+  _default_teardown
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/helpers.sh b/tests/integration/helpers.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3aa6ead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/helpers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+_build_abra() {
+  if [[ ! -e "$ROOT/abra" ]]; then
+      cd "$ROOT" && make build-abra
+      return 0
+  fi
+  return 0
+}
+
+_build_kadabra() {
+  if [[ ! -e "$ROOT/kadabra" ]]; then
+      cd "$ROOT" && make build-kadabra
+      return 0
+  fi
+  return 0
+}
+
+_setup_env(){
+  load '/usr/lib/bats/bats-support/load'
+  load '/usr/lib/bats/bats-assert/load'
+
+  ROOT="$DIR/../.."
+  ABRA="$ROOT/abra"
+  KADABRA="$ROOT/kadabra"
+
+  ABRA_DIR="$HOME/.abra_test"
+
+  _build_abra
+  _build_kadabra
+}
+
+_default_teardown(){
+  rm -rf "$ABRA_DIR"
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/recipe.bats b/tests/integration/recipe.bats
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8d1bcb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/recipe.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+setup() {
+  DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
+  source "$DIR/helpers.sh"
+  _setup_env
+
+  mkdir -p "$HOME/.abra_test/servers/example.com"
+  if ! grep -R -q "example.com" "$HOME/.docker"; then
+    docker context create --docker host=ssh://foo@example.com:222 example.com
+  fi
+}
+
+@test "create new recipe" {
+  run $ABRA recipe new foobar
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial 'Your new foobar recipe has been created'
+
+  run $ABRA app new foobar \
+    --no-input \
+    --server example.com \
+    --domain foobar.example.com
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial 'A new foobar app has been created!'
+}
+
+teardown() {
+  _default_teardown
+
+  if grep -R -q "example.com" "$HOME/.docker"; then
+    docker context rm example.com
+  fi
+}