diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 257fcab52..22af75ff1 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ RUN mkdir -p $IPFS_PATH && mkdir -p $QRI_PATH \
 # VOLUME $QRI_PATH
 
 # Set binary as entrypoint, initalizing ipfs repo if none is mounted
-CMD ["qri", "server", "--init-ipfs"]
\ No newline at end of file
+CMD ["qri", "server", "--init"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/server.go b/api/server.go
index 5ce64c9cf..d74fc2056 100644
--- a/api/server.go
+++ b/api/server.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func New(r repo.Repo, options ...func(*Config)) (s *Server, err error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error starting P2P service: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 	if cfg.PostP2POnlineHook != nil {
-		cfg.PostP2POnlineHook(s.qriNode)
+		go cfg.PostP2POnlineHook(s.qriNode)
 	}
 	// p2p.PrintSwarmAddrs(qriNode)
 	return s, nil
diff --git a/cmd/init.go b/cmd/init.go
index ad50f3313..40221281a 100644
--- a/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cmd/init.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var (
 	initIPFSConfigFile string
 	initIdentityData   string
 	initProfileData    string
+	initDatasetsData   string
 )
 
 // initCmd represents the init command
@@ -32,6 +33,13 @@ var initCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		var cfgData []byte
 
+		envVars := map[string]*string{
+			"QRI_INIT_IDENTITY_DATA": &initIdentityData,
+			"QRI_INIT_PROFILE_DATA":  &initProfileData,
+			"QRI_INIT_DATASETS_DATA": &initDatasetsData,
+		}
+		mapEnvVars(envVars)
+
 		if QRIRepoInitialized() && !initOverwrite {
 			// use --overwrite to overwrite this repo, erasing all data and deleting your account for good
 			ErrExit(fmt.Errorf("repo already initialized."))
@@ -51,6 +59,17 @@ var initCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		err := yaml.Unmarshal(cfgData, cfg)
 		ExitIfErr(err)
 
+		if initDatasetsData != "" {
+			err = readAtFile(&initDatasetsData)
+			ExitIfErr(err)
+
+			datasets := map[string]string{}
+			err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(initDatasetsData), &datasets)
+			ExitIfErr(err)
+
+			cfg.DefaultDatasets = datasets
+		}
+
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(QriRepoPath, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
 			ErrExit(fmt.Errorf("error creating home dir: %s\n", err.Error()))
 		}
@@ -69,7 +88,7 @@ var initCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			ExitIfErr(err)
 
 			path := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "config")
-			data, err := json.Marshal(DefaaultIPFSConfig(id))
+			data, err := json.Marshal(DefaultIPFSConfig(id))
 			ExitIfErr(err)
 
 			err = ioutil.WriteFile(path, data, os.ModePerm)
@@ -109,6 +128,7 @@ func init() {
 	// initCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&initIPFSConfigFile, "ipfs-config", "", "", "config file for initialization")
 	initCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&initIdentityData, "id", "", "", "json-encoded identity data, specify a filepath with '@' prefix")
 	initCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&initProfileData, "profile", "", "", "json-encoded user profile data, specify a filepath with '@' prefix")
+	initCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&initDatasetsData, "datasets", "", "", "json-encoded object of default datasets")
 }
 
 // QRIRepoInitialized checks to see if a repository has been initialized at $QRI_PATH
@@ -118,6 +138,17 @@ func QRIRepoInitialized() bool {
 	return !os.IsNotExist(err)
 }
 
+func mapEnvVars(vars map[string]*string) {
+	for envVar, value := range vars {
+		envVal := os.Getenv(envVar)
+		fmt.Println("%s=%s", envVar, envVal)
+		if envVal != "" {
+			fmt.Println("reading %s from env", envVar)
+			*value = envVal
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func initRepoIfEmpty(repoPath, configPath string) error {
 	if repoPath != "" {
 		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(repoPath, "config")); os.IsNotExist(err) {
@@ -148,7 +179,7 @@ func readAtFile(data *string) error {
 }
 
 // TODO - this is a bit of a hack for the moment, will be removed later
-func DefaaultIPFSConfig(identity config.Identity) *config.Config {
+func DefaultIPFSConfig(identity config.Identity) *config.Config {
 	return &config.Config{
 		Identity: identity,
 		Datastore: config.Datastore{
diff --git a/cmd/server.go b/cmd/server.go
index a88647ee5..18474b7ea 100644
--- a/cmd/server.go
+++ b/cmd/server.go
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	serverCmdPort  string
-	serverMemOnly  bool
-	serverOffline  bool
-	serverInitIpfs bool
+	serverCmdPort string
+	serverMemOnly bool
+	serverOffline bool
+	serverInit    bool
 )
 
 // serverCmd represents the run command
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ var serverCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			err error
 		)
 
+		if serverInit && !QRIRepoInitialized() {
+			initCmd.Run(&cobra.Command{}, []string{})
+		}
+
 		if serverMemOnly {
 			// TODO - refine, adding better identity generation
 			// or options for BYO user profile
@@ -95,7 +99,7 @@ func addDefaultDatasets(node *p2p.QriNode) {
 
 func init() {
 	serverCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&serverCmdPort, "port", "p", api.DefaultPort, "port to start server on")
-	// serverCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&serverInitIpfs, "init-ipfs", "", false, "initialize a new default ipfs repo if empty")
+	serverCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&serverInit, "init", "", false, "initialize if necessary, reading options from enviornment variables")
 	serverCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&serverMemOnly, "mem-only", "", false, "run qri entirely in-memory, persisting nothing")
 	serverCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&serverOffline, "offline", "", false, "disable networking")
 	RootCmd.AddCommand(serverCmd)