diff --git a/cmd/ci.go b/cmd/ci.go
index 26a561d139ce4294a2e88795d766ce6d67a8496e..4db1cd763cb9f02c749aff0c3a4eff2f6c2a4708 100644
--- a/cmd/ci.go
+++ b/cmd/ci.go
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"os"
+
+	"git.psu.edu/k8s/devtool/config"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -50,3 +55,17 @@ func init() {
 	// is called directly, e.g.:
 	// configCmd.Flags().BoolP("toggle", "t", false, "Help message for toggle")
 }
+
+func getCiConfiguration() config.Config {
+	conf, err := config.New(configFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		color.New(color.FgRed).Printf("WARN: configuration file: %s doesn't exist, using defaults\n", configFile)
+
+		conf.Name = os.Getenv("CI_PROJECT_NAME")
+		deployable := config.Deployable{
+			Name: os.Getenv("CI_PROJECT_NAME"),
+		}
+		conf.Deployables = []config.Deployable{deployable}
+	}
+	return conf
+}
diff --git a/cmd/ci_build.go b/cmd/ci_build.go
index 2d92ca329c7830829b6c76fdf1a9453eef3fb483..63c0be92f1d300d606903db6c30d72cd7761e264 100644
--- a/cmd/ci_build.go
+++ b/cmd/ci_build.go
@@ -32,13 +32,9 @@ var ciBuildCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "build",
 	Short: "build the application within the CI system",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		conf, err := config.New(configFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			color.New(color.FgRed).Printf("Error reading configuration file: %s\n", configFile)
-			return err
-		}
+		conf := getCiConfiguration()
 
-		err = buildCiDocker(conf)
+		err := buildCiDocker(conf)
 		if err != nil {
 			color.Red("Failed to build docker image.")
 			return err
diff --git a/cmd/ci_deploy.go b/cmd/ci_deploy.go
index 50e52277989577cd1f5d015436bcec801fe60257..329ece014de402719c45792264e8e3206ce8d002 100644
--- a/cmd/ci_deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/ci_deploy.go
@@ -28,13 +28,9 @@ var ciDeployCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "deploy",
 	Short: "deploy the application within the CI system",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		conf, err := config.New(configFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			color.New(color.FgRed).Printf("Error reading configuration file: %s\n", configFile)
-			return err
-		}
+		conf := getCiConfiguration()
 
-		err = fluxDeployCi(conf)
+		err := fluxDeployCi(conf)
 		if err != nil {
 			color.Red("Failed to build docker image.")
 			return err
diff --git a/cmd/config_init.go b/cmd/config_init.go
index fbc4f65c7ec4c49e615c2b8a160cef70afa3ee38..2bc91c47451d010179ae8e177f6d616c44cb4687 100644
--- a/cmd/config_init.go
+++ b/cmd/config_init.go
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ var initCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		conf.LocalEnvVars = []string{"OAUTH_CLIENT_ID"}
-		conf.LocalEnvVars = []string{"OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET", "OAUTH_JWK"}
+		conf.LocalSecrets = []string{"OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET", "OAUTH_JWK"}
 
 		color.Yellow("Writing configuration")