diff --git a/server/src/banner.rs b/server/src/banner.rs
index 209c3dab7..66a329a53 100644
--- a/server/src/banner.rs
+++ b/server/src/banner.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,52 @@
 use crossterm::style::Stylize;
 use sysinfo::{System, SystemExt};
 
+use crate::{option::Config, utils::capitalize_ascii};
+
+pub fn print(config: &Config) {
+    let scheme = config.parseable.get_scheme();
+    status_info(config, &scheme);
+    version::print();
+    storage_info(config);
+    system_info();
+    println!();
+}
+
+fn status_info(config: &Config, scheme: &str) {
+    let url = format!("{}://{}", scheme, config.parseable.address).underlined();
+    eprintln!(
+        "
+    {}
+    {}
+    {}",
+        format!("Parseable server started at: {}", url).bold(),
+        format!("Username: {}", config.parseable.username).bold(),
+        format!("Password: {}", config.parseable.password).bold(),
+    );
+
+    if config.is_default_creds() {
+        warning_line();
+        eprintln!(
+            "
+        {}",
+            "Using default credentials for Parseable server".red()
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+fn storage_info(config: &Config) {
+    eprintln!(
+        "
+    {}
+        Local Staging Path: {}
+        {} Storage: {}",
+        "Storage:".to_string().blue().bold(),
+        config.staging_dir().to_string_lossy(),
+        capitalize_ascii(config.storage_name),
+        config.storage().get_endpoint(),
+    )
+}
+
 pub fn system_info() {
     let system = System::new_all();
     eprintln!(
@@ -36,7 +82,6 @@ pub fn system_info() {
     )
 }
 
-#[allow(dead_code)]
 pub fn warning_line() {
     eprint!(
         "
@@ -81,13 +126,10 @@ pub mod version {
                     current_version
                 );
 
-                // check for latest release, if it cannot be fetched then print error as warn and return
-                let latest_release = match update::get_latest() {
-                    Ok(latest_release) => latest_release,
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        log::warn!("{}", e);
-                        return;
-                    }
+                // check for latest release
+                let Ok(latest_release) = update::get_latest() else {
+                    eprintln!();
+                    return
                 };
 
                 if latest_release.version > current_version {
@@ -109,7 +151,7 @@ pub mod version {
                 }
             }
             ParseableVersion::Prerelease(current_prerelease) => {
-                eprint!(
+                eprintln!(
                     "
     {} {} ",
                     "Current Version:".to_string().blue().bold(),
diff --git a/server/src/main.rs b/server/src/main.rs
index 765d437d7..494d0df65 100644
--- a/server/src/main.rs
+++ b/server/src/main.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const API_VERSION: &str = "v1";
 #[actix_web::main]
 async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     env_logger::init();
-    CONFIG.print();
+    banner::print(&CONFIG);
     CONFIG.validate();
     let storage = CONFIG.storage().get_object_store();
     CONFIG.validate_storage(&*storage).await;
diff --git a/server/src/option.rs b/server/src/option.rs
index 291f9dfd4..bf49d1f63 100644
--- a/server/src/option.rs
+++ b/server/src/option.rs
@@ -16,17 +16,16 @@
  *
  */
 
+use clap::error::ErrorKind;
 use clap::{command, value_parser, Arg, Args, Command, FromArgMatches};
-use crossterm::style::Stylize;
+
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-use crate::banner;
 use crate::storage::{
     FSConfig, ObjectStorage, ObjectStorageError, ObjectStorageProvider, S3Config,
     LOCAL_SYNC_INTERVAL,
 };
-use crate::utils::capitalize_ascii;
 
 lazy_static::lazy_static! {
     #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -54,6 +53,15 @@ impl Config {
                     Err(err) => err.exit(),
                 };
 
+                if server.local_staging_path == storage.root {
+                    parseable_cli_command()
+                        .error(
+                            ErrorKind::ValueValidation,
+                            "Cannot use same path for storage and staging",
+                        )
+                        .exit()
+                }
+
                 Config {
                     parseable: server,
                     storage: Arc::new(storage),
@@ -80,15 +88,6 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn print(&self) {
-        let scheme = CONFIG.parseable.get_scheme();
-        self.status_info(&scheme);
-        banner::version::print();
-        self.storage_info();
-        banner::system_info();
-        println!();
-    }
-
     pub fn validate(&self) {
         if CONFIG.parseable.upload_interval < LOCAL_SYNC_INTERVAL {
             panic!("object storage upload_interval (P_STORAGE_UPLOAD_INTERVAL) must be 60 seconds or more");
@@ -113,32 +112,6 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    fn status_info(&self, scheme: &str) {
-        let url = format!("{}://{}", scheme, self.parseable.address).underlined();
-        eprintln!(
-            "
-    {}
-    {}
-    {}",
-            format!("Parseable server started at: {}", url).bold(),
-            format!("Username: {}", self.parseable.username).bold(),
-            format!("Password: {}", self.parseable.password).bold(),
-        )
-    }
-
-    fn storage_info(&self) {
-        eprintln!(
-            "
-    {}
-        Local Staging Path: {}
-        {} Storage: {}",
-            "Storage:".to_string().blue().bold(),
-            self.staging_dir().to_string_lossy(),
-            capitalize_ascii(self.storage_name),
-            self.storage().get_endpoint(),
-        )
-    }
-
     pub fn storage(&self) -> Arc<dyn ObjectStorageProvider + Send + Sync> {
         self.storage.clone()
     }
@@ -146,6 +119,11 @@ impl Config {
     pub fn staging_dir(&self) -> &Path {
         &self.parseable.local_staging_path
     }
+
+    pub fn is_default_creds(&self) -> bool {
+        self.parseable.username == Server::DEFAULT_USERNAME
+            && self.parseable.password == Server::DEFAULT_PASSWORD
+    }
 }
 
 impl Default for Config {
@@ -160,10 +138,10 @@ fn parseable_cli_command() -> Command {
 
     let local = local
         .mut_arg(Server::USERNAME, |arg| {
-            arg.required(false).default_value("admin")
+            arg.required(false).default_value(Server::DEFAULT_USERNAME)
         })
         .mut_arg(Server::PASSWORD, |arg| {
-            arg.required(false).default_value("admin")
+            arg.required(false).default_value(Server::DEFAULT_PASSWORD)
         });
 
     let s3 = Server::get_clap_command("--s3-store");
@@ -259,6 +237,8 @@ impl Server {
     pub const UPLOAD_INTERVAL: &str = "upload-interval";
     pub const USERNAME: &str = "username";
     pub const PASSWORD: &str = "password";
+    pub const DEFAULT_USERNAME: &str = "admin";
+    pub const DEFAULT_PASSWORD: &str = "admin";
 
     pub fn local_stream_data_path(&self, stream_name: &str) -> PathBuf {
         self.local_staging_path.join(stream_name)
@@ -305,7 +285,7 @@ impl Server {
                     .env("P_STAGING_DIR")
                     .value_name("DIR")
                     .default_value("./staging")
-                    .value_parser(value_parser!(PathBuf))
+                    .value_parser(validation::canonicalize_path)
                     .help("The local staging path is used as a temporary landing point for incoming events and local cache")
                     .next_line_help(true),
             )
@@ -339,7 +319,11 @@ impl Server {
 }
 
 pub mod validation {
-    use std::{net::ToSocketAddrs, path::PathBuf};
+    use std::{
+        fs::{canonicalize, create_dir_all},
+        net::ToSocketAddrs,
+        path::PathBuf,
+    };
 
     pub fn file_path(s: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
         if s.is_empty() {
@@ -355,6 +339,17 @@ pub mod validation {
         Ok(path)
     }
 
+    pub fn canonicalize_path(s: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
+        let path = PathBuf::from(s);
+
+        create_dir_all(&path)
+            .map_err(|err| err.to_string())
+            .and_then(|_| {
+                canonicalize(&path)
+                    .map_err(|_| "Cannot use the path provided as an absolute path".to_string())
+            })
+    }
+
     pub fn socket_addr(s: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
         s.to_socket_addrs()
             .is_ok()
diff --git a/server/src/storage/localfs.rs b/server/src/storage/localfs.rs
index f0751bcea..56f06f789 100644
--- a/server/src/storage/localfs.rs
+++ b/server/src/storage/localfs.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ use relative_path::RelativePath;
 use tokio::fs;
 use tokio_stream::wrappers::ReadDirStream;
 
-use crate::query::Query;
+use crate::{option::validation, query::Query};
 
 use super::{LogStream, ObjectStorage, ObjectStorageError, ObjectStorageProvider};
 
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@ pub struct FSConfig {
     #[arg(
         env = "P_FS_PATH",
         value_name = "filesystem path",
-        default_value = "./data"
+        default_value = "./data",
+        value_parser = validation::canonicalize_path
     )]
-    root: PathBuf,
+    pub root: PathBuf,
 }
 
 impl ObjectStorageProvider for FSConfig {