diff --git a/src/init/AppRunner.ts b/src/init/AppRunner.ts
index a91d08c81..0f2f701c1 100644
--- a/src/init/AppRunner.ts
+++ b/src/init/AppRunner.ts
@@ -36,13 +36,17 @@ const ENV_VAR_PREFIX = 'CSS';
 export interface AppRunnerInput {
   /**
    * Properties that will be used when building the Components.js manager.
-   * Sets `typeChecking` to false by default as the server components will result in errors otherwise.
+   * Default values:
+   *  - `typeChecking`: `false`, as the server components would otherwise error.
+   *  - `mainModulePath`: `@css:`, which resolves to the directory of the CSS package.
+   *                      This is useful for packages that depend on the CSS
+   *                      but do not create any new modules themselves.
    */
-  loaderProperties: IComponentsManagerBuilderOptions<App>;
+  loaderProperties?: Partial<IComponentsManagerBuilderOptions<App>>;
   /**
-   * Path to the server config file(s).
+   * Path to the server config file(s). Defaults to `@css:config/default.json`.
    */
-  config: string | string[];
+  config?: string | string[];
   /**
    * Values to apply to the Components.js variables.
    * These are the variables CLI values will be converted to.
@@ -87,14 +91,19 @@ export class AppRunner {
    *
    * @param input - All values necessary to configure the server.
    */
-  public async create(input: AppRunnerInput): Promise<App> {
+  public async create(input: AppRunnerInput = {}): Promise<App> {
     const loaderProperties = {
       typeChecking: false,
+      mainModulePath: '@css:',
+      dumpErrorState: false,
       ...input.loaderProperties,
     };
+    // Expand mainModulePath as needed
+    loaderProperties.mainModulePath = resolveAssetPath(loaderProperties.mainModulePath);
 
-    // Potentially expand file paths as needed
-    const configs = (Array.isArray(input.config) ? input.config : [ input.config ]).map(resolveAssetPath);
+    // Potentially expand config paths as needed
+    let configs = input.config ?? [ '@css:config/default.json' ];
+    configs = (Array.isArray(configs) ? configs : [ configs ]).map(resolveAssetPath);
 
     let componentsManager: ComponentsManager<any>;
     try {
@@ -178,8 +187,8 @@ export class AppRunner {
 
     const params = await yargv.parse();
 
-    const loaderProperties: IComponentsManagerBuilderOptions<App> = {
-      mainModulePath: resolveAssetPath(params.mainModulePath),
+    const loaderProperties: AppRunnerInput['loaderProperties'] = {
+      mainModulePath: params.mainModulePath,
       logLevel: params.loggingLevel,
     };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/init/AppRunner.test.ts b/test/unit/init/AppRunner.test.ts
index c99b0eea0..2013cd7d9 100644
--- a/test/unit/init/AppRunner.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/init/AppRunner.test.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,30 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
       expect(app.clusterManager.isSingleThreaded()).toBeFalsy();
     });
 
+    it('has several defaults.', async(): Promise<void> => {
+      const createdApp = await new AppRunner().create();
+      expect(createdApp).toBe(app);
+
+      expect(ComponentsManager.build).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(ComponentsManager.build).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
+        typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
+      });
+      expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(manager.configRegistry.register)
+        .toHaveBeenCalledWith(joinFilePath(__dirname, '/../../../config/default.json'));
+      expect(manager.instantiate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(manager.instantiate).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 'urn:solid-server-app-setup:default:CliResolver', {});
+      expect(manager.instantiate)
+        .toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 'urn:solid-server:default:App', { variables: {}});
+      expect(shorthandResolver.handleSafe).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(shorthandResolver.handleSafe).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith({});
+      expect(cliExtractor.handleSafe).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+      expect(app.start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+      expect(app.clusterManager.isSingleThreaded()).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+
     it('throws an error if threading issues are detected with 1 class.', async(): Promise<void> => {
       listSingleThreadedComponentsMock.mockImplementationOnce((): string[] => [ 'ViolatingClass' ]);
       const variables = {
@@ -344,6 +368,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'info',
         mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register)
@@ -375,6 +400,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'info',
         mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, '/var/cwd/config1.json');
@@ -419,6 +445,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'debug',
         mainModulePath: '/var/cwd/module/path',
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/var/cwd/myconfig.json');
@@ -569,6 +596,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'info',
         mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register)
@@ -600,6 +628,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'debug',
         mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register)
@@ -760,6 +789,7 @@ describe('AppRunner', (): void => {
         logLevel: 'info',
         mainModulePath: joinFilePath(__dirname, '../../../'),
         typeChecking: false,
+        dumpErrorState: false,
       });
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(manager.configRegistry.register)