diff --git a/src/daemon/config.js b/src/daemon/config.js
index 7c3acc261..12e62358a 100644
--- a/src/daemon/config.js
+++ b/src/daemon/config.js
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ const { showDialog } = require('../dialogs')
 const store = require('../common/store')
 const logger = require('../common/logger')
 
-function configExists (ipfsPath) {
-  return fs.pathExistsSync(join(ipfsPath, 'config'))
+function configExists (ipfsd) {
+  return fs.pathExistsSync(join(ipfsd.path, 'config'))
 }
 
 function configPath (ipfsd) {
@@ -188,8 +188,13 @@ async function checkPorts (ipfsd) {
   const apiPort = parseInt(configApiMa.nodeAddress().port, 10)
   const gatewayPort = parseInt(configGatewayMa.nodeAddress().port, 10)
 
-  const freeGatewayPort = await portfinder.getPortPromise({ port: gatewayPort, stopPort: gatewayPort + 100 })
-  const freeApiPort = await portfinder.getPortPromise({ port: apiPort, stopPort: apiPort + 100 })
+  const findFreePort = async (port, from) => {
+    port = Math.max(port, from, 1024)
+    return portfinder.getPortPromise({ port, stopPort: port + 100 })
+  }
+
+  const freeGatewayPort = await findFreePort(gatewayPort, 8080)
+  const freeApiPort = await findFreePort(apiPort, 5001)
 
   const busyApiPort = apiPort !== freeApiPort
   const busyGatewayPort = gatewayPort !== freeGatewayPort
diff --git a/src/daemon/daemon.js b/src/daemon/daemon.js
index de4c93d61..f7594278f 100644
--- a/src/daemon/daemon.js
+++ b/src/daemon/daemon.js
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ async function cleanup (ipfsd) {
 }
 
 async function spawn ({ flags, path, keysize }) {
+  // js-ipfsd-ctl stopped supporting IPFS_PATH after 1.x
+  // NOTE: https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfsd-ctl/issues/497
+  if (process.env.IPFS_PATH) {
+    path = process.env.IPFS_PATH
+  }
+
   const ipfsd = await Ctl.createController({
     ipfsHttpModule: require('ipfs-http-client'),
     ipfsBin: require('go-ipfs-dep').path(),
@@ -53,14 +59,17 @@ async function spawn ({ flags, path, keysize }) {
     args: flags
   })
 
-  // Init does not run if the repository is already initialized. We run this
-  // anyway because ipfsd.initialized is always false when spawning a new daemon.
-  // See https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfsd-ctl/blob/master/src/ipfsd-daemon.js#L82
+  // ipfsd-ctl is not setting .initialized properly after spawn.
+  // NOTE: https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfsd-ctl/issues/500
+  if (configExists(ipfsd)) {
+    checkCorsConfig(ipfsd)
+    return ipfsd
+  }
+
   await ipfsd.init({
     bits: keysize
   })
 
-  checkCorsConfig(ipfsd)
   applyDefaults(ipfsd)
   return ipfsd
 }
@@ -68,11 +77,12 @@ async function spawn ({ flags, path, keysize }) {
 module.exports = async function (opts) {
   const ipfsd = await spawn(opts)
   await checkPorts(ipfsd)
-  await ipfsd.start()
 
   try {
+    await ipfsd.start()
     const { id } = await ipfsd.api.id()
     logger.info(`[daemon] PeerID is ${id}`)
+    logger.info(`[daemon] Repo is at ${ipfsd.path}`)
   } catch (err) {
     if (!err.message.includes('ECONNREFUSED')) {
       throw err
diff --git a/src/daemon/index.js b/src/daemon/index.js
index 8e08f049e..89d85f712 100644
--- a/src/daemon/index.js
+++ b/src/daemon/index.js
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ module.exports = async function (ctx) {
       log.end()
       updateStatus(STATUS.STOPPING_FINISHED)
     } catch (err) {
-      logger.error(`[ipfsd] ${err.toString}`)
+      logger.error(`[ipfsd] ${err.toString()}`)
       updateStatus(STATUS.STOPPING_FAILED)
     } finally {
       ipfsd = null
diff --git a/test/e2e/launch.e2e.js b/test/e2e/launch.e2e.js
index 91110985f..56c83d963 100644
--- a/test/e2e/launch.e2e.js
+++ b/test/e2e/launch.e2e.js
@@ -164,8 +164,7 @@ describe('Application launch', function () {
     expect(app.isRunning()).to.be.true()
     await daemonReady(app)
     await ipfsd.stop()
-  })
-  */
+  }) */
 
   it('starts with multiple api addresses', async function () {
     const { repoPath, configPath } = await makeRepository({ start: false })