diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 79302c506..75bce9447 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ In just a few short steps we will set up a project containing a Hatchify fronten
 1. Ensure you’re using [node 18 and npm 9 or above](https://nodejs.org/en/download)
 
    ```bash
-   node -v
-   npm -v
+   echo Node: $(node -v) && echo npm: $(npm -v)
    ```
 
 2. Create a new project:
diff --git a/packages/create/src/constants.ts b/packages/create/src/constants.ts
index 9f030758f..f476e8fe5 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/constants.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,6 @@ import { blue, green, yellow } from "kolorist"
 import type { Database, Backend, Frontend } from "./types"
 
 export const BACKENDS: Record<string, Backend> = {
-  EXPRESS: {
-    name: "express",
-    display: "Express",
-    color: yellow,
-    dependencies: ["express", "@hatchifyjs/express"],
-    devDependencies: [],
-  },
   KOA: {
     name: "koa",
     display: "Koa",
@@ -16,16 +9,16 @@ export const BACKENDS: Record<string, Backend> = {
     dependencies: ["koa", "@hatchifyjs/koa"],
     devDependencies: ["@types/koa", "koa-connect"],
   },
+  EXPRESS: {
+    name: "express",
+    display: "Express",
+    color: yellow,
+    dependencies: ["express", "@hatchifyjs/express"],
+    devDependencies: [],
+  },
 }
 
 export const DATABASES: Record<string, Database> = {
-  POSTGRES: {
-    name: "postgres",
-    display: "Postgres",
-    color: yellow,
-    dependencies: ["pg", "dotenv"],
-    devDependencies: ["@types/pg"],
-  },
   SQLITE: {
     name: "sqlite",
     display: "SQLite",
@@ -33,6 +26,13 @@ export const DATABASES: Record<string, Database> = {
     dependencies: ["sqlite3"],
     devDependencies: [],
   },
+  POSTGRES: {
+    name: "postgres",
+    display: "Postgres",
+    color: yellow,
+    dependencies: ["pg", "dotenv"],
+    devDependencies: ["@types/pg"],
+  },
 }
 
 export const FRONTENDS: Record<string, Frontend> = {
diff --git a/packages/create/src/index.ts b/packages/create/src/index.ts
index 81eeb27b8..b4c8b17e2 100755
--- a/packages/create/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/index.ts
@@ -5,18 +5,19 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url"
 import minimist from "minimist"
 import prompts from "prompts"
 import { red, reset } from "kolorist"
+import { exec } from "child_process"
 import {
   copyDir,
-  emptyDir,
+  emptyDir, execCommandExitOnError,
   formatTargetDir,
   isEmpty,
   isValidPackageName,
-  pkgFromUserAgent,
+  pkgFromUserAgent, readFileWithRetries,
   replaceStringInFile,
   runCommand,
   toValidPackageName,
 } from "./util"
-import { DATABASES, BACKENDS, FRONTENDS } from "./constants"
+import { BACKENDS, DATABASES, FRONTENDS } from "./constants"
 import type { Database } from "./types"
 
 // Avoids autoconversion to number of the project name by defining that the args
@@ -202,6 +203,8 @@ async function init() {
           databaseHost,
         )}:${databasePort}/${encodeURIComponent(databaseName)}`)
 
+  targetDir = packageName || targetDir;
+
   const root = path.join(cwd, targetDir)
 
   if (overwrite) {
@@ -215,15 +218,15 @@ async function init() {
 
   console.log(`\nScaffolding project in ${root}...`)
 
-  runCommand(
-    `npm create vite@latest ${targetDir} -- --template react-ts`,
-    cwd,
-    true,
-  )
+  execCommandExitOnError(`npm create vite@latest "${targetDir}" -- --template react-ts`)
 
-  const templatePackage = JSON.parse(
-    await fs.promises.readFile(path.join(root, "package.json"), "utf-8"),
-  )
+  let templatePackage;
+  try {
+    templatePackage = JSON.parse(await readFileWithRetries(path.join(root, "package.json")));
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error(e)
+    process.exit(1)
+  }
 
   const backendTemplateDir = path.resolve(
     fileURLToPath(import.meta.url),
diff --git a/packages/create/src/util.ts b/packages/create/src/util.ts
index 35be1f358..ee1ad2621 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/util.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/util.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs"
 import path from "node:path"
 import spawn from "cross-spawn"
+import { exec } from "child_process"
 
 const renameFiles: Record<string, string> = {
   _gitignore: ".gitignore",
@@ -20,6 +21,34 @@ export async function replaceStringInFile(
   )
 }
 
+export async function readFileWithRetries(filePath: string, retries: number = 5, delay: number = 1000): Promise<string> {
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= retries; attempt++) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
+      return await fs.promises.readFile(filePath, "utf-8");
+    }
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, attempt * delay));
+  }
+  throw new Error(`${filePath} could not be found after ${retries} attempts`);
+}
+
+export function execCommandExitOnError(
+  command: string,
+  args: string[] = [],
+): void {
+  exec(`${command} ${args.join(" ")}`,
+    (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+      if (error) {
+        console.error(`${command} error: ${error.message}`)
+        process.exit(1)
+      }
+      if (stderr) {
+        console.error(`${command} stderr: ${stderr}`)
+        process.exit(1)
+      }
+    },
+  )
+}
+
 export function runCommand(
   fullCommand: string,
   cwd: string,