diff --git a/source/agent-remote/datacommands.sh b/source/agent-remote/datacommands.sh
index 7259e60..b325a20 100755
--- a/source/agent-remote/datacommands.sh
+++ b/source/agent-remote/datacommands.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ _autocommandrun_volume() {
 
     case "$command" in
         create)
+            if docker volume ls | grep -q ${volume_name}; then
+                echo "Volume ${volume_name} already exists - leaving unchanged"
+                return
+            fi
             echo "Creating volume ${volume_name}"
             docker volume create ${volume_name}
             ;;
@@ -39,6 +43,10 @@ _autocommandrun_path() {
 
     case "$command" in
         create)
+            if [ -d "${path}" ]; then
+                echo "Path ${path} already exists - unchanged"
+                return
+            fi
             echo "Creating path ${path}"
             mkdir -p ${path}
             ;;
@@ -80,6 +88,12 @@ _autocommandrun_file() {
 
     case "$command" in
         create)
+            filepath_parent=$(dirname ${filepath})
+            filepath_child=$(basename ${filepath})
+            if [ ! -d "${filepath_parent}" ]; then
+                echo "Parent directory ${filepath_parent} of ${filepath_child} does not exist - creating"
+                mkdir -p ${filepath_parent}
+            fi
             ;;
         nuke)
             rm -f ${filepath}
diff --git a/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp b/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
index ce1c762..d1b8fae 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include "utils/utils.hpp"
 #include "services.hpp"
 
+#include <fstream>
+
 namespace dropshell
 {
 
@@ -65,6 +67,39 @@ namespace dropshell
     namespace shared_commands
     {
 
+        
+    bool print_readme(const template_info &tinfo, std::string server, std::string service)
+    {
+        std::vector<std::string> variants_to_try = {"README.txt", "readme.txt", "ReadMe.txt", "README", "readme", "README.md", "readme.md"};
+        std::filesystem::path readme_path = tinfo.local_template_path();
+        for (const auto &variant : variants_to_try)
+        {
+            if (std::filesystem::exists(readme_path / variant))
+            {
+                readme_path = readme_path / variant;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!std::filesystem::exists(readme_path))
+            return false;
+
+        std::map<std::string, std::string> all_env_vars;
+        get_all_service_env_vars(server, service, all_env_vars);
+        all_env_vars["LOCAL_CONFIG_PATH"] = localpath::service(server, service);
+        all_env_vars["LOCAL_TEMPLATE_PATH"] = tinfo.local_template_path().string(); 
+
+        info << std::endl;
+        std::ifstream readme_file(readme_path);
+        std::string line;
+        while (std::getline(readme_file, line))
+        {
+            info << substitute_provided_key_value_pairs(line, all_env_vars) << std::endl;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+
     bool create_service(const std::string &server_name, const std::string &template_name, const std::string &service_name)
     {
         if (server_name.empty() || template_name.empty() || service_name.empty())
@@ -112,10 +147,14 @@ namespace dropshell
         recursive_copy(tinfo.local_template_path() / "config", service_dir);
 
         info << "Service " << service_name << " created successfully" << std::endl;
-        info << std::endl;
-        info << "To complete the installation, please:" << std::endl;
-        info << "1. edit the service config file:  dropshell edit " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
-        info << "2. install the remote service:    dropshell install " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
+
+        if (!print_readme(tinfo, server_name, service_name))
+        {
+            info << std::endl;
+            info << "To complete the installation, please:" << std::endl;
+            info << "1. edit the service config file:  dropshell edit " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
+            info << "2. install the remote service:    dropshell install " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
+        }
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/source/src/commands/install.cpp b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
index 559b681..f44d2f5 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/install.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "services.hpp"
 #include "utils/output.hpp"
 
+#include <fstream>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ namespace dropshell
         }
     } install_command_register;
 
+
     namespace shared_commands
     {
 
@@ -132,6 +134,8 @@ namespace dropshell
 
             // print health tick
             info << "Health: " << shared_commands::healthtick(server, service) << std::endl;
+
+           
             return true;
         }
 
diff --git a/source/src/templates.hpp b/source/src/templates.hpp
index 79a0660..2397c65 100644
--- a/source/src/templates.hpp
+++ b/source/src/templates.hpp
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ class template_info {
         template_info() : mIsSet(false) {}
         template_info(const std::string& template_name, const std::string& location_id, const std::filesystem::path& local_template_path);
         virtual ~template_info() {}
-        bool is_set() { return mIsSet; }
-        std::string name() { return mTemplateName; }
-        std::string locationID() { return mLocationID; }
-        std::filesystem::path local_template_path() { return mTemplateLocalPath; }
-        bool template_valid() { return mTemplateValid; }
+        bool is_set() const { return mIsSet; }
+        std::string name() const { return mTemplateName; }
+        std::string locationID() const { return mLocationID; }
+        std::filesystem::path local_template_path() const { return mTemplateLocalPath; }
+        bool template_valid() const { return mTemplateValid; }
     private:
         std::string mTemplateName;
         std::string mLocationID;
diff --git a/source/src/utils/utils.cpp b/source/src/utils/utils.cpp
index c75f5da..4e7f26d 100644
--- a/source/src/utils/utils.cpp
+++ b/source/src/utils/utils.cpp
@@ -286,29 +286,6 @@ std::vector<std::string> split(const std::string& str, const std::string& delimi
     return tokens;
 }
 
-
-std::string replace_with_environment_variables_like_bash(std::string str) {
-    // Combined regex pattern for both ${var} and $var formats
-    std::regex var_pattern("\\$(?:\\{([^}]+)\\}|([a-zA-Z0-9_]+))");
-    std::string result = str;
-    std::smatch match;
-    
-    while (std::regex_search(result, match, var_pattern)) {
-        // match[1] will contain capture from ${var} format
-        // match[2] will contain capture from $var format
-        std::string var_name = match[1].matched ? match[1].str() : match[2].str();
-        
-        // Get value from system environment variables
-        const char* env_value = std::getenv(var_name.c_str());
-        std::string value = env_value ? env_value : "";
-        
-        result = result.replace(match.position(), match.length(), value);
-    }
-
-    // dequote the result
-    return result;
-}
-
 std::string random_alphanumeric_string(int length)
 {
     static std::mt19937 generator(std::random_device{}());
@@ -366,5 +343,49 @@ std::string center_align(const std::string & str, int width) {
 }
 
 
+std::string replace_with_environment_variables_like_bash(std::string str) {
+    // Combined regex pattern for both ${var} and $var formats
+    std::regex var_pattern("\\$(?:\\{([^}]+)\\}|([a-zA-Z0-9_]+))");
+    std::string result = str;
+    std::smatch match;
+    
+    while (std::regex_search(result, match, var_pattern)) {
+        // match[1] will contain capture from ${var} format
+        // match[2] will contain capture from $var format
+        std::string var_name = match[1].matched ? match[1].str() : match[2].str();
+        
+        // Get value from system environment variables
+        const char* env_value = std::getenv(var_name.c_str());
+        std::string value = env_value ? env_value : "";
+        
+        result = result.replace(match.position(), match.length(), value);
+    }
+
+    // dequote the result
+    return result;
+}
+
+
+std::string substitute_provided_key_value_pairs(std::string str, const std::map<std::string, std::string> &env_vars)
+{
+    // Combined regex pattern for both ${var} and $var formats
+    std::regex var_pattern("\\$(?:\\{([^}]+)\\}|([a-zA-Z0-9_]+))");
+    std::string result = str;
+    std::smatch match;
+    
+    while (std::regex_search(result, match, var_pattern)) {
+        // match[1] will contain capture from ${var} format
+        // match[2] will contain capture from $var format
+        std::string var_name = match[1].matched ? match[1].str() : match[2].str();
+        
+        // Get value from environment variables map
+        auto it = env_vars.find(var_name);
+        std::string value = (it != env_vars.end()) ? it->second : "";
+        
+        result = result.replace(match.position(), match.length(), value);
+    }
+    
+    return result;
+}
 
 } // namespace dropshell 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/src/utils/utils.hpp b/source/src/utils/utils.hpp
index f9a57dc..a1425b9 100644
--- a/source/src/utils/utils.hpp
+++ b/source/src/utils/utils.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <map>
 
 #include "output.hpp"
 
@@ -41,8 +42,6 @@ void ensure_directories_exist(std::vector<std::string> directories);
 std::vector<int> search(const std::string &pat, const std::string &txt);
 int count_substring(const std::string &substring, const std::string &text);
 
-std::string replace_with_environment_variables_like_bash(std::string str);
-
 std::string random_alphanumeric_string(int length);
 
 int die(const std::string & msg);
@@ -53,4 +52,7 @@ std::string left_align(const std::string & str, int width);
 std::string right_align(const std::string & str, int width);
 std::string center_align(const std::string & str, int width);
 
+std::string replace_with_environment_variables_like_bash(std::string str);
+std::string substitute_provided_key_value_pairs(std::string str, const std::map<std::string, std::string> & env_vars);
+
 } // namespace dropshell 
\ No newline at end of file