diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 89db77b6..becc5ef1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,7 +44,28 @@ app.listen(1337, function() {
 
 ### Standalone Parse Server
 
-Parse Server can also run as a standalone API server. The standalone Parse Server can be configured using [environment variables](#configuration). To start the server, just run `npm start`.
+Parse Server can also run as a standalone API server. 
+You can configure Parse Server with a configuration file, arguments and environment variables.
+
+To start the server: 
+
+`npm start -- --appId MYAPP --masterKey MASTER_KEY`.
+
+To get more help for running the parse-server standalone, you can run:
+
+`$ npm start -- --help`
+
+The standalone API server supports loading a configuration file in JSON format:
+
+`$ npm start -- path/to/your/config.json`
+
+The default port is 1337, to use a different port set the PORT environment variable:
+
+`$ PORT=8080 npm start -- path/to/your/config.json`
+
+The standalone Parse Server can be configured using [environment variables](#configuration).
+
+Please refer to the [configuration section](#configuration) or help;
 
 You can also install Parse Server globally:
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fd348a62..e74b0f5e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     "babel-runtime": "^6.5.0",
     "bcrypt-nodejs": "0.0.3",
     "body-parser": "^1.14.2",
+    "colors": "^1.1.2",
     "commander": "^2.9.0",
     "deepcopy": "^0.6.1",
     "express": "^4.13.4",
diff --git a/src/cli/cli-definitions.js b/src/cli/cli-definitions.js
index a560178c..5d93b429 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli-definitions.js
+++ b/src/cli/cli-definitions.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ module.exports = {
   },
   "serverURL": { 
     env: "PARSE_SERVER_URL",
-    help: "URL to your parse server with http:// or https://"
+    help: "URL to your parse server with http:// or https://",
+    required: true
   },
   "databaseURI": { 
     env: "PARSE_SERVER_DATABASE_URI",
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ module.exports = {
   },
   "enableAnonymousUsers": {
     env: "PARSE_SERVER_ENABLE_ANON_USERS",
-    help: "Enable (or disable) anon users, enabled by default",
+    help: "Enable (or disable) anon users, defaults to true",
     action: function(opt) {
       if (opt == "true" || opt == "1") {
         return true;
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ module.exports = {
   },
   "mountPath": { 
     env: "PARSE_SERVER_MOUNT_PATH",
-    help: "Mount path for the server, defaults to /"
+    help: "Mount path for the server, defaults to /parse",
+    default: "/parse"
   },
   "databaseAdapter": {
     env: "PARSE_SERVER_DATABASE_ADAPTER",
diff --git a/src/cli/parse-server.js b/src/cli/parse-server.js
index 75c567ba..1d5fb7b1 100755
--- a/src/cli/parse-server.js
+++ b/src/cli/parse-server.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ var express = require('express');
 var ParseServer = require("../index").ParseServer;
 var definitions = require('./cli-definitions');
 var program = require('./utils/commander');
+var colors = require('colors');
 
 program.loadDefinitions(definitions);
 
@@ -19,15 +20,15 @@ program.on('--help', function(){
   console.log('  Usage with npm start');
   console.log('');
   console.log('    $ npm start -- path/to/config.json');
-  console.log('    $ npm start -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY');
-  console.log('    $ npm start -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY');
+  console.log('    $ npm start -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY --serverURL serverURL');
+  console.log('    $ npm start -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY --serverURL serverURL');
   console.log('');
   console.log('');
   console.log('  Usage:');
   console.log('');
   console.log('    $ parse-server path/to/config.json');
-  console.log('    $ parse-server -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY');
-  console.log('    $ parse-server -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY');
+  console.log('    $ parse-server -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY --serverURL serverURL');
+  console.log('    $ parse-server -- --appId APP_ID --masterKey MASTER_KEY --serverURL serverURL');
   console.log('');
 });
   
@@ -40,6 +41,14 @@ if (program.args.length > 0 ) {
   jsonPath = path.resolve(jsonPath);
   options = require(jsonPath);
   console.log(`Configuation loaded from ${jsonPath}`)
+} 
+
+if (!program.appId || !program.masterKey || !program.serverURL) {
+  program.outputHelp();
+  console.error("");
+  console.error(colors.red("ERROR: appId, masterKey and serverURL are required"));
+  console.error("");
+  process.exit(1);
 }
 
 var options = Object.keys(definitions).reduce(function (options, key) {
@@ -49,8 +58,6 @@ var options = Object.keys(definitions).reduce(function (options, key) {
   return options;
 }, options);
 
-options.mountPath = options.mountPath || '/';
-
 var app = express();
 var api = new ParseServer(options);
 app.use(options.mountPath, api);
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/commander.js b/src/cli/utils/commander.js
index bc650b13..7fb68107 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/commander.js
+++ b/src/cli/utils/commander.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ var program = require('commander');
 
 var _definitions;
 var _reverseDefinitions;
-
+var _defaults;
 program.loadDefinitions = function(definitions) {
   _definitions = definitions;
   Object.keys(definitions).reduce(function(program, opt){
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ program.loadDefinitions = function(definitions) {
     }
     return program.option(`--${opt} [${opt}]`)
   }, program);
-  
+  _defaults = Object.keys(definitions).reduce(function(defs, opt) {
+    if(_definitions[opt].default) {
+      defs[opt] = _definitions[opt].default;
+    }
+    return defs;
+  }, {});
   _reverseDefinitions = Object.keys(definitions).reduce(function(object, key){
       let value = definitions[key];
       if (typeof value == "object") {
@@ -65,6 +70,11 @@ program.parse = function(args, env) {
      program[key] = envOptions[key];
    } 
   });
+  Object.keys(_defaults).forEach(function(key){
+    if (!program[key]) {
+     program[key] = _defaults[key];
+   } 
+  });
 }
 
 module.exports =  program;