diff --git a/cloudbender/__init__.py b/cloudbender/__init__.py
index 636bec3..676b45b 100644
--- a/cloudbender/__init__.py
+++ b/cloudbender/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import logging
 
 __author__ = "Stefan Reimer"
 __email__ = "stefan@zero-downtimet.net"
-__version__ = "0.7.6"
+__version__ = "0.7.7"
 
 
 # Set up logging to ``/dev/null`` like a library is supposed to.
diff --git a/cloudbender/cli.py b/cloudbender/cli.py
index 0d8df5a..8712fbb 100644
--- a/cloudbender/cli.py
+++ b/cloudbender/cli.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import sys
 import click
 import functools
 
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@ from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
 from . import __version__
 from .core import CloudBender
 from .utils import setup_logging
+from .exceptions import InvalidProjectDir
 
 import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -24,11 +26,18 @@ def cli(ctx, debug, directory):
     if directory:
         if not os.path.isabs(directory):
             directory = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.getcwd(), directory))
+    elif os.getenv('CLOUDBENDER_PROJECT_ROOT'):
+        directory = os.getenv('CLOUDBENDER_PROJECT_ROOT')
     else:
         directory = os.getcwd()
 
     # Read global config
-    cb = CloudBender(directory)
+    try:
+        cb = CloudBender(directory)
+    except InvalidProjectDir as e:
+        print(e)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     cb.read_config()
     cb.dump_config()
 
diff --git a/cloudbender/core.py b/cloudbender/core.py
index 92cf338..7650a5b 100644
--- a/cloudbender/core.py
+++ b/cloudbender/core.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import logging
 from .utils import ensure_dir
 from .stackgroup import StackGroup
 from .jinja import read_config_file
+from .exceptions import InvalidProjectDir
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ class CloudBender(object):
         }
 
         if not os.path.isdir(self.ctx['config_path']):
-            raise "Check '{0}' exists and is a valid project folder.".format(root_path)
+            raise InvalidProjectDir("Check '{0}' exists and is a valid CloudBender project folder.".format(root_path))
 
     def read_config(self):
         """Load the <path>/config.yaml, <path>/*.yaml as stacks, sub-folders are sub-groups """
diff --git a/cloudbender/exceptions.py b/cloudbender/exceptions.py
index 80bb076..3bbc901 100644
--- a/cloudbender/exceptions.py
+++ b/cloudbender/exceptions.py
@@ -4,3 +4,7 @@ class ParameterNotFound(Exception):
 
 class ParameterIllegalValue(Exception):
     """My documentation"""
+
+
+class InvalidProjectDir(BaseException):
+    """My documentation"""
diff --git a/cloudbender/stack.py b/cloudbender/stack.py
index ff32d6f..15cc7a6 100644
--- a/cloudbender/stack.py
+++ b/cloudbender/stack.py
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class Stack(object):
 
         # Ignore checks regarding overloaded properties
         if self.mode == "CloudBender":
-            ignore_checks = ignore_checks + ['E3035', 'E3002', 'E3012', 'W2001', 'E3001']
+            ignore_checks = ignore_checks + ['E3035', 'E3002', 'E3012', 'W2001', 'E3001', 'E0002', 'E1012']
 
         filename = os.path.join(self.ctx['template_path'], self.rel_path, self.stackname + ".yaml")
         logger.info('Validating {0}'.format(filename))