diff --git a/app/src/adapter/bun/bun.adapter.ts b/app/src/adapter/bun/bun.adapter.ts
index ae14be5..05079e2 100644
--- a/app/src/adapter/bun/bun.adapter.ts
+++ b/app/src/adapter/bun/bun.adapter.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,25 @@ import type { Serve, ServeOptions } from "bun";
 import { serveStatic } from "hono/bun";
 
 let app: App;
-export async function createApp(_config: Partial<CreateAppConfig> = {}, distPath?: string) {
+export type ExtendedAppCreateConfig = Partial<CreateAppConfig> & {
+   distPath?: string;
+   onBuilt?: (app: App) => Promise<void>;
+   buildOptions?: Parameters<App["build"]>[0];
+};
+
+export async function createApp({
+   distPath,
+   onBuilt,
+   buildOptions,
+   ...config
+}: ExtendedAppCreateConfig) {
    const root = path.resolve(distPath ?? "./node_modules/bknd/dist", "static");
 
    if (!app) {
-      app = App.create(_config);
+      app = App.create(config);
 
-      app.emgr.on(
-         "app-built",
+      app.emgr.onEvent(
+         App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
          async () => {
             app.modules.server.get(
                "/*",
@@ -22,20 +33,18 @@ export async function createApp(_config: Partial<CreateAppConfig> = {}, distPath
                })
             );
             app.registerAdminController();
+            await onBuilt?.(app);
          },
          "sync"
       );
 
-      await app.build();
+      await app.build(buildOptions);
    }
 
    return app;
 }
 
-export type BunAdapterOptions = Omit<ServeOptions, "fetch"> &
-   CreateAppConfig & {
-      distPath?: string;
-   };
+export type BunAdapterOptions = Omit<ServeOptions, "fetch"> & ExtendedAppCreateConfig;
 
 export function serve({
    distPath,
@@ -44,13 +53,23 @@ export function serve({
    plugins,
    options,
    port = 1337,
+   onBuilt,
+   buildOptions,
    ...serveOptions
 }: BunAdapterOptions = {}) {
    Bun.serve({
       ...serveOptions,
       port,
       fetch: async (request: Request) => {
-         const app = await createApp({ connection, initialConfig, plugins, options }, distPath);
+         const app = await createApp({
+            connection,
+            initialConfig,
+            plugins,
+            options,
+            onBuilt,
+            buildOptions,
+            distPath
+         });
          return app.fetch(request);
       }
    });
diff --git a/app/src/adapter/node/node.adapter.ts b/app/src/adapter/node/node.adapter.ts
index 47d4c97..6cd6ab1 100644
--- a/app/src/adapter/node/node.adapter.ts
+++ b/app/src/adapter/node/node.adapter.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ export type NodeAdapterOptions = CreateAppConfig & {
    port?: number;
    hostname?: string;
    listener?: Parameters<typeof honoServe>[1];
+   onBuilt?: (app: App) => Promise<void>;
+   buildOptions?: Parameters<App["build"]>[0];
 };
 
 export function serve({
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ export function serve({
    port = 1337,
    hostname,
    listener,
+   onBuilt,
+   buildOptions = {},
    ...config
 }: NodeAdapterOptions = {}) {
    const root = path.relative(
@@ -31,8 +35,8 @@ export function serve({
             if (!app) {
                app = App.create(config);
 
-               app.emgr.on(
-                  "app-built",
+               app.emgr.onEvent(
+                  App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
                   async () => {
                      app.modules.server.get(
                         "/*",
@@ -41,11 +45,12 @@ export function serve({
                         })
                      );
                      app.registerAdminController();
+                     await onBuilt?.(app);
                   },
                   "sync"
                );
 
-               await app.build();
+               await app.build(buildOptions);
             }
 
             return app.fetch(req);
diff --git a/app/src/adapter/vite/vite.adapter.ts b/app/src/adapter/vite/vite.adapter.ts
index 6faaefe..448f50d 100644
--- a/app/src/adapter/vite/vite.adapter.ts
+++ b/app/src/adapter/vite/vite.adapter.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ function createApp(config: BkndConfig, env: any) {
 }
 
 function setAppBuildListener(app: App, config: BkndConfig, html?: string) {
-   app.emgr.on(
-      "app-built",
+   app.emgr.onEvent(
+      App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
       async () => {
          await config.onBuilt?.(app);
          if (config.setAdminHtml) {
diff --git a/app/src/auth/authenticate/Authenticator.ts b/app/src/auth/authenticate/Authenticator.ts
index 426023b..46fa586 100644
--- a/app/src/auth/authenticate/Authenticator.ts
+++ b/app/src/auth/authenticate/Authenticator.ts
@@ -220,15 +220,23 @@ export class Authenticator<Strategies extends Record<string, Strategy> = Record<
    }
 
    private async getAuthCookie(c: Context): Promise<string | undefined> {
-      const secret = this.config.jwt.secret;
+      try {
+         const secret = this.config.jwt.secret;
+
+         const token = await getSignedCookie(c, secret, "auth");
+         if (typeof token !== "string") {
+            await deleteCookie(c, "auth", this.cookieOptions);
+            return undefined;
+         }
+
+         return token;
+      } catch (e: any) {
+         if (e instanceof Error) {
+            console.error("[Error:getAuthCookie]", e.message);
+         }
 
-      const token = await getSignedCookie(c, secret, "auth");
-      if (typeof token !== "string") {
-         await deleteCookie(c, "auth", this.cookieOptions);
          return undefined;
       }
-
-      return token;
    }
 
    async requestCookieRefresh(c: Context) {
diff --git a/app/src/cli/commands/run/run.ts b/app/src/cli/commands/run/run.ts
index 7ad9568..2e1fb32 100644
--- a/app/src/cli/commands/run/run.ts
+++ b/app/src/cli/commands/run/run.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import type { Config } from "@libsql/client/node";
 import { App, type CreateAppConfig } from "App";
 import type { BkndConfig } from "adapter";
+import { StorageLocalAdapter } from "adapter/node";
 import type { CliCommand } from "cli/types";
 import { Option } from "commander";
+import { registries } from "modules/registries";
 import {
    PLATFORMS,
    type Platform,
@@ -37,6 +39,12 @@ export const run: CliCommand = (program) => {
       .action(action);
 };
 
+// automatically register local adapter
+const local = StorageLocalAdapter.prototype.getName();
+if (!registries.media.has(local)) {
+   registries.media.register(local, StorageLocalAdapter);
+}
+
 type MakeAppConfig = {
    connection?: CreateAppConfig["connection"];
    server?: { platform?: Platform };
@@ -47,8 +55,8 @@ type MakeAppConfig = {
 async function makeApp(config: MakeAppConfig) {
    const app = App.create({ connection: config.connection });
 
-   app.emgr.on(
-      "app-built",
+   app.emgr.onEvent(
+      App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
       async () => {
          await attachServeStatic(app, config.server?.platform ?? "node");
          app.registerAdminController();
@@ -68,8 +76,8 @@ export async function makeConfigApp(config: BkndConfig, platform?: Platform) {
    const appConfig = typeof config.app === "function" ? config.app(process.env) : config.app;
    const app = App.create(appConfig);
 
-   app.emgr.on(
-      "app-built",
+   app.emgr.onEvent(
+      App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
       async () => {
          await attachServeStatic(app, platform ?? "node");
          app.registerAdminController();
diff --git a/app/src/core/object/SchemaObject.ts b/app/src/core/object/SchemaObject.ts
index c70ef28..aad5b14 100644
--- a/app/src/core/object/SchemaObject.ts
+++ b/app/src/core/object/SchemaObject.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ export class SchemaObject<Schema extends TObject> {
          forceParse: true,
          skipMark: this.isForceParse()
       });
-      const updatedConfig = noEmit ? valid : await this.onBeforeUpdate(this._config, valid);
+      // regardless of "noEmit" – this should always be triggered
+      const updatedConfig = await this.onBeforeUpdate(this._config, valid);
 
       this._value = updatedConfig;
       this._config = Object.freeze(updatedConfig);
diff --git a/app/src/core/registry/Registry.ts b/app/src/core/registry/Registry.ts
index 1fc78bb..b895f51 100644
--- a/app/src/core/registry/Registry.ts
+++ b/app/src/core/registry/Registry.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ export class Registry<
       return this.items[name];
    }
 
+   has(name: keyof Items): boolean {
+      return name in this.items;
+   }
+
    all() {
       return this.items;
    }
diff --git a/app/src/media/storage/adapters/StorageLocalAdapter/StorageLocalAdapter.ts b/app/src/media/storage/adapters/StorageLocalAdapter/StorageLocalAdapter.ts
index f6c1bb1..f483eeb 100644
--- a/app/src/media/storage/adapters/StorageLocalAdapter/StorageLocalAdapter.ts
+++ b/app/src/media/storage/adapters/StorageLocalAdapter/StorageLocalAdapter.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 import { readFile, readdir, stat, unlink, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { type Static, Type, parse } from "core/utils";
-import type {
-   FileBody,
-   FileListObject,
-   FileMeta,
-   FileUploadPayload,
-   StorageAdapter
-} from "../../Storage";
+import type { FileBody, FileListObject, FileMeta, StorageAdapter } from "../../Storage";
 import { guessMimeType } from "../../mime-types";
 
 export const localAdapterConfig = Type.Object(
    {
-      path: Type.String()
+      path: Type.String({ default: "./" })
    },
    { title: "Local" }
 );
diff --git a/app/vite.dev.ts b/app/vite.dev.ts
index bed5beb..6050997 100644
--- a/app/vite.dev.ts
+++ b/app/vite.dev.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ export default {
    async fetch(request: Request) {
       const app = App.create({ connection });
 
-      app.emgr.on(
-         "app-built",
+      app.emgr.onEvent(
+         App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
          async () => {
             app.registerAdminController({ forceDev: true });
             app.module.server.client.get("/assets/*", serveStatic({ root: "./" }));