diff --git a/src/cli/src/config.ts b/src/cli/src/config.ts
index c9ded2c..8ab4657 100644
--- a/src/cli/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/cli/src/config.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const reserved = {
 
 const root = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..')
 const cwd = process.cwd()
+export const dotElmSpa = path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa');
 
 const config = {
   reserved,
@@ -16,18 +17,18 @@ const config = {
     src: path.join(cwd, 'src'),
     pages: {
       src: path.join(cwd, 'src', 'Pages'),
-      defaults: path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa', 'defaults', 'Pages')
+      defaults: path.join(dotElmSpa, 'defaults', 'Pages')
     },
     defaults: {
       src: path.join(root, 'src', 'defaults'),
-      dest: path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa', 'defaults')
+      dest: path.join(dotElmSpa, 'defaults')
     },
-    generated: path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa', 'generated'),
+    generated: path.join(dotElmSpa, 'generated'),
     templates: {
       defaults: path.join(root, 'src', 'templates', 'add'),
-      user: path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa', 'templates')
+      user: path.join(dotElmSpa, 'templates')
     },
-    package: path.join(cwd, '.elm-spa', 'package'),
+    package: path.join(dotElmSpa, 'package'),
     public: path.join(cwd, 'public'),
     dist: path.join(cwd, 'public', 'dist'),
   },
diff --git a/src/cli/src/index.ts b/src/cli/src/index.ts
index 3f3887c..4ba7cee 100644
--- a/src/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
 import CLI from './cli'
+import { dotElmSpa } from './config'
+import { checkIfFolderExists } from './file'
 import { Commands } from './types'
 
-const commands : Commands = {
+const commands: Commands = {
   new: CLI.new,
   add: CLI.add,
   build: CLI.build,
@@ -16,13 +18,23 @@ const commands : Commands = {
   make: CLI.build,
 }
 
-const command : string | undefined = process.argv[2]
+const commandsNotRequiringInitialization = ['new', 'init', 'help']
+
+const command: string | undefined = process.argv[2]
 
 Promise.resolve(command)
+  .then(async cmd =>  {
+    if (!commandsNotRequiringInitialization.includes(cmd as string)) {
+      if (!await checkIfFolderExists(dotElmSpa)) {
+        throw '  This command must be run in a project folder containing a .elm-spa folder.'
+      }
+    }
+    return cmd
+  })
   .then(cmd => commands[cmd as keyof Commands] || commands.help)
   .then(task => task())
   .then(output => {
-    const message = output instanceof Array ? output : [ output ]
+    const message = output instanceof Array ? output : [output]
     console.info('')
     console.info(message.join('\n\n'))
   })