diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
index e020c5f9da..44007acde7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/new/newHandler.js
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@ module.exports = opts => {
 
 const run = async opts => {
   try {
-    opts.dir = xPlatHomeDir(opts.dir)
-    const bbconfig = dotenv.config({ path: resolve(opts.dir, ".env") })
-    console.log(bbconfig)
+    setup(opts)
     await createAppInstance(opts)
     await createEmptyAppPackage(opts)
     exec(`cd ${join(opts.dir, opts.applicationId)} && npm install`)
@@ -25,6 +23,13 @@ const run = async opts => {
   }
 }
 
+const setup = opts => {
+  opts.dir = xPlatHomeDir(opts.dir)
+  process.env.BUDIBASE_DIR = opts.dir
+  const bbconfig = dotenv.config({ path: resolve(opts.dir, ".env") })
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(bbconfig))
+}
+
 const createAppInstance = async opts => {
   const createAppCtx = {
     params: { clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID },
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ const createAppInstance = async opts => {
   // this cannot be a top level require as it will cause
   // the environment module to be loaded prematurely
   const instanceController = require("@budibase/server/src/api/controllers/instance")
-  await instanceController.create({
+  const createInstCtx = {
     params: {
       clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
       applicationId: opts.applicationId,
@@ -53,9 +58,11 @@ const createAppInstance = async opts => {
     request: {
       body: { name: `dev-${process.env.CLIENT_ID}` },
     },
-  })
+  }
+  await instanceController.create(createInstCtx)
 
   console.log(chalk.green(`Default Instance Created`))
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(createInstCtx.body))
 }
 
 const createEmptyAppPackage = async opts => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
index b79ca0e581..c4b49d1f74 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../db")
 const ClientDb = require("../../db/clientDb")
 const { getPackageForBuilder } = require("../../utilities/builder")
-const uuid = require("uuid")
+const newid = require("../../db/newid")
 const env = require("../../environment")
 
 exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
   const db = new CouchDB(ClientDb.name(env.CLIENT_ID))
 
   const newApplication = {
-    _id: uuid.v4().replace(/-/g, ""),
+    _id: newid(),
     type: "app",
     instances: [],
     userInstanceMap: {},
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
index dcfc1ba2dc..573860438c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../db")
 const client = require("../../db/clientDb")
-const uuid = require("uuid")
+const newid = require("../../db/newid")
 const env = require("../../environment")
 
 exports.create = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceName = ctx.request.body.name
-  const uid = uuid.v4().replace(/-/g, "")
-  const instanceId = `inst_${ctx.params.applicationId.substring(0, 7)}_${uid}`
+  const appShortId = ctx.params.applicationId.substring(0, 7)
+  const instanceId = `inst_${appShortId}_${newid()}`
   const { applicationId } = ctx.params
   const clientId = env.CLIENT_ID
   const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
index 4a97cf97aa..a30026a645 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../db")
-const uuid = require("uuid")
+const newid = require("../../db/newid")
 
 exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId)
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
   const newModel = {
     type: "model",
     ...ctx.request.body,
-    _id: uuid.v4().replace(/-/g, ""),
+    _id: newid(),
   }
 
   const result = await db.post(newModel)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
index b6b7fc62b3..2cd648b6c3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../db")
 const Ajv = require("ajv")
-const uuid = require("uuid")
+const newid = require("../../db/newid")
 
 const ajv = new Ajv()
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
   const record = ctx.request.body
 
   if (!record._rev && !record._id) {
-    record._id = uuid.v4().replace(/-/, "")
+    record._id = newid()
   }
 
   // validation with ajv
diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/newid.js b/packages/server/src/db/newid.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6af467480d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/newid.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+const { v4 } = require("uuid")
+
+module.exports = function() {
+  return v4().replace(/-/g, "")
+}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/authenticated.js b/packages/server/src/middleware/authenticated.js
index 43c8f013e1..1bcc5575c3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/authenticated.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/authenticated.js
@@ -3,14 +3,7 @@ const STATUS_CODES = require("../utilities/statusCodes")
 const env = require("../environment")
 
 module.exports = async (ctx, next) => {
-  const authHeader = ctx.get("Authorization")
-
-  if (
-    authHeader &&
-    authHeader.startsWith("Basic") &&
-    authHeader.split(" ")[1] === env.ADMIN_SECRET
-  ) {
-    ctx.isAuthenticated = true
+  if (ctx.path === "/_builder") {
     await next()
     return
   }