diff --git a/go/characters/appEventListener.go b/go/characters/appEventListener.go
index 0c328d90..d1ffcbc7 100644
--- a/go/characters/appEventListener.go
+++ b/go/characters/appEventListener.go
@@ -56,8 +56,11 @@ func AppEventListener(gcd *gothings.GrandCentralDispatcher, subscribed chan bool
 			if e.Data[event.Error] == event.AppErrLoaded0 {
 				// TODO: only an error if other profiles are not loaded
 				log.Infoln("couldn't load your config file. attempting to create one now")
-
-				the.CwtchApp.CreatePeer("alice", the.AppPassword)
+				if gcd.Version() == "development" {
+					the.CwtchApp.CreatePeer("tester", the.AppPassword)
+				} else {
+					the.CwtchApp.CreatePeer("alice", the.AppPassword)
+				}
 			}
 
 		case event.ReloadDone:
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 02b06105..fa3e32dd 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	// TESTING
-	//log.SetLevel(log.LevelDebug)
+	if buildVer == "" {
+		log.SetLevel(log.LevelDebug)
+	}
 	//log.ExcludeFromPattern("connection/connection")
 	//log.ExcludeFromPattern("outbound/3dhauthchannel")
 	//log.AddNothingExceptFilter("event/eventmanager")
@@ -74,6 +76,12 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		the.CwtchDir = path.Join(usr.HomeDir, ".cwtch")
 	}
+
+	if buildVer == "" && os.Getenv("CWTCH_FOLDER") == "" {
+		log.Infoln("Development build: using dev directory for dev profiles")
+		the.CwtchDir = path.Join(the.CwtchDir, "dev")
+	}
+
 	the.ACN = nil
 	the.Peer = nil
 	the.IPCBridge = nil