diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2232350..fe4c90f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ packages/media/.env
 **/*/vite.config.ts.timestamp*
 .history
 **/*/.db/*
+**/*/.configs/*
 **/*/*.db
 **/*/*.db-shm
 **/*/*.db-wal
diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index 1bb93d4..c4674bc 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "sideEffects": false,
   "bin": "./dist/cli/index.js",
-  "version": "0.5.0-rc5",
+  "version": "0.5.0-rc6",
   "scripts": {
     "build:all": "NODE_ENV=production bun run build.ts --minify --types --clean && bun run build:cli",
     "dev": "vite",
diff --git a/app/src/core/errors.ts b/app/src/core/errors.ts
index 860bd9d..d9a1cdc 100644
--- a/app/src/core/errors.ts
+++ b/app/src/core/errors.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export class Exception extends Error {
    code = 400;
    override name = "Exception";
+   protected _context = undefined;
 
    constructor(message: string, code?: number) {
       super(message);
@@ -9,11 +10,16 @@ export class Exception extends Error {
       }
    }
 
+   context(context: any) {
+      this._context = context;
+      return this;
+   }
+
    toJSON() {
       return {
          error: this.message,
-         type: this.name
-         //message: this.message
+         type: this.name,
+         context: this._context
       };
    }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/data/entities/EntityManager.ts b/app/src/data/entities/EntityManager.ts
index 1e2030e..f8dfd7b 100644
--- a/app/src/data/entities/EntityManager.ts
+++ b/app/src/data/entities/EntityManager.ts
@@ -107,15 +107,15 @@ export class EntityManager<TBD extends object = DefaultDB> {
       }
 
       this._entities[entityIndex] = entity;
+
+      // caused issues because this.entity() was using a reference (for when initial config was given)
    }
 
    entity(e: Entity | keyof TBD | string): Entity {
-      let entity: Entity | undefined;
-      if (typeof e === "string") {
-         entity = this.entities.find((entity) => entity.name === e);
-      } else if (e instanceof Entity) {
-         entity = e;
-      }
+      // make sure to always retrieve by name
+      const entity = this.entities.find((entity) =>
+         e instanceof Entity ? entity.name === e.name : entity.name === e
+      );
 
       if (!entity) {
          // @ts-ignore
diff --git a/app/src/data/entities/query/Repository.ts b/app/src/data/entities/query/Repository.ts
index 171fc3b..a6dc576 100644
--- a/app/src/data/entities/query/Repository.ts
+++ b/app/src/data/entities/query/Repository.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class Repository<TBD extends object = DefaultDB, TB extends keyof TBD = a
    }
 
    private cloneFor(entity: Entity) {
-      return new Repository(this.em, entity, this.emgr);
+      return new Repository(this.em, this.em.entity(entity), this.emgr);
    }
 
    private get conn() {
@@ -94,7 +94,10 @@ export class Repository<TBD extends object = DefaultDB, TB extends keyof TBD = a
          if (invalid.length > 0) {
             throw new InvalidSearchParamsException(
                `Invalid select field(s): ${invalid.join(", ")}`
-            );
+            ).context({
+               entity: entity.name,
+               valid: validated.select
+            });
          }
 
          validated.select = options.select;
diff --git a/app/src/data/helper.ts b/app/src/data/helper.ts
index 74497b0..e465247 100644
--- a/app/src/data/helper.ts
+++ b/app/src/data/helper.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { EntityData, Field } from "data";
+import type { EntityData, EntityManager, Field } from "data";
 import { transform } from "lodash-es";
 
 export function getDefaultValues(fields: Field[], data: EntityData): EntityData {
@@ -48,3 +48,23 @@ export function getChangeSet(
       {} as typeof formData
    );
 }
+
+export function readableEmJson(_em: EntityManager) {
+   return {
+      entities: _em.entities.map((e) => ({
+         name: e.name,
+         fields: e.fields.map((f) => f.name),
+         type: e.type
+      })),
+      indices: _em.indices.map((i) => ({
+         name: i.name,
+         entity: i.entity.name,
+         fields: i.fields.map((f) => f.name),
+         unique: i.unique
+      })),
+      relations: _em.relations.all.map((r) => ({
+         name: r.getName(),
+         ...r.toJSON()
+      }))
+   };
+}
diff --git a/app/src/media/AppMedia.ts b/app/src/media/AppMedia.ts
index fc9ba42..c759479 100644
--- a/app/src/media/AppMedia.ts
+++ b/app/src/media/AppMedia.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ export class AppMedia extends Module<typeof mediaConfigSchema> {
    private _storage?: Storage;
 
    override async build() {
-      console.log("building");
       if (!this.config.enabled) {
          this.setBuilt();
          return;
diff --git a/app/src/modules/Module.ts b/app/src/modules/Module.ts
index 2a4dad0..21bc5d2 100644
--- a/app/src/modules/Module.ts
+++ b/app/src/modules/Module.ts
@@ -46,10 +46,12 @@ export abstract class Module<Schema extends TSchema = TSchema, ConfigSchema = St
    }
 
    static ctx_flags = {
-      sync_required: false
+      sync_required: false,
+      ctx_reload_required: false
    } as {
       // signal that a sync is required at the end of build
       sync_required: boolean;
+      ctx_reload_required: boolean;
    };
 
    onBeforeUpdate(from: ConfigSchema, to: ConfigSchema): ConfigSchema | Promise<ConfigSchema> {
diff --git a/app/src/modules/ModuleManager.ts b/app/src/modules/ModuleManager.ts
index af6da0d..d5840c2 100644
--- a/app/src/modules/ModuleManager.ts
+++ b/app/src/modules/ModuleManager.ts
@@ -400,8 +400,8 @@ export class ModuleManager {
       });
    }
 
-   private async buildModules(options?: { graceful?: boolean }) {
-      this.logger.log("buildModules() triggered", options?.graceful, this._built);
+   private async buildModules(options?: { graceful?: boolean; ignoreFlags?: boolean }) {
+      this.logger.log("buildModules() triggered", options, this._built);
       if (options?.graceful && this._built) {
          this.logger.log("skipping build (graceful)");
          return;
@@ -417,12 +417,25 @@ export class ModuleManager {
       this._built = true;
       this.logger.log("modules built", ctx.flags);
 
-      if (ctx.flags.sync_required) {
-         this.logger.log("db sync requested");
-         await ctx.em.schema().sync({ force: true });
-         await this.save();
-         ctx.flags.sync_required = false; // reset
+      if (options?.ignoreFlags !== true) {
+         if (ctx.flags.sync_required) {
+            ctx.flags.sync_required = false;
+            this.logger.log("db sync requested");
+
+            // sync db
+            await ctx.em.schema().sync({ force: true });
+            await this.save();
+         }
+
+         if (ctx.flags.ctx_reload_required) {
+            ctx.flags.ctx_reload_required = false;
+            this.logger.log("ctx reload requested");
+            this.ctx(true);
+         }
       }
+
+      // reset all falgs
+      ctx.flags = Module.ctx_flags;
    }
 
    async build() {
diff --git a/app/src/ui/components/table/DataTable.tsx b/app/src/ui/components/table/DataTable.tsx
index 8aa664f..01e40bf 100644
--- a/app/src/ui/components/table/DataTable.tsx
+++ b/app/src/ui/components/table/DataTable.tsx
@@ -125,12 +125,18 @@ export function DataTable<Data extends Record<string, any> = Record<string, any>
                   </thead>
                ) : null}
                <tbody>
-                  {!data || data.length === 0 ? (
+                  {!data || !Array.isArray(data) || data.length === 0 ? (
                      <tr>
                         <td colSpan={select.length + (checkable ? 1 : 0)}>
                            <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 p-8 justify-center items-center border-t border-muted">
                               <i className="opacity-50">
-                                 {Array.isArray(data) ? "No data to show" : "Loading..."}
+                                 {Array.isArray(data) ? (
+                                    "No data to show"
+                                 ) : !data ? (
+                                    "Loading..."
+                                 ) : (
+                                    <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre>
+                                 )}
                               </i>
                            </div>
                         </td>
diff --git a/app/vite.dev.ts b/app/vite.dev.ts
index 6050997..16e73cd 100644
--- a/app/vite.dev.ts
+++ b/app/vite.dev.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { serveStatic } from "@hono/node-server/serve-static";
 import { createClient } from "@libsql/client/node";
 import { App, registries } from "./src";
@@ -6,20 +7,35 @@ import { StorageLocalAdapter } from "./src/media/storage/adapters/StorageLocalAd
 
 registries.media.register("local", StorageLocalAdapter);
 
-const credentials = {
-   url: import.meta.env.VITE_DB_URL!,
-   authToken: import.meta.env.VITE_DB_TOKEN!
-};
+const run_example: string | boolean = false;
+//run_example = "ex-admin-rich";
+
+const credentials = run_example
+   ? {
+        url: `file:.configs/${run_example}.db`
+        //url: ":memory:"
+     }
+   : {
+        url: import.meta.env.VITE_DB_URL!,
+        authToken: import.meta.env.VITE_DB_TOKEN!
+     };
 if (!credentials.url) {
    throw new Error("Missing VITE_DB_URL env variable. Add it to .env file");
 }
 
 const connection = new LibsqlConnection(createClient(credentials));
 
+let initialConfig: any = undefined;
+if (run_example) {
+   const { version, ...config } = JSON.parse(
+      await readFile(`.configs/${run_example}.json`, "utf-8")
+   );
+   initialConfig = config;
+}
+
 export default {
    async fetch(request: Request) {
-      const app = App.create({ connection });
-
+      const app = App.create({ connection, initialConfig });
       app.emgr.onEvent(
          App.Events.AppBuiltEvent,
          async () => {