diff --git a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.test.ts b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.test.ts
index 494d5a56f1..440ab07034 100644
--- a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.test.ts
+++ b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.test.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,33 @@ describe('applyBackendConfig', () => {
         '  appId: "app-id",\n' +
         '});\n',
     );
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(dir, 'instant.config.ts'), 'utf8')).toBe(
+      `export default {
+  apiURI: "http://localhost:8888",
+};
+`,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('adds the dashboard URI to instant.config.ts when provided', () => {
+    const dir = createTempDir();
+    const filePath = path.join(dir, 'src/lib/db.ts');
+    fs.outputFileSync(filePath, 'export const db = init({\n});\n');
+
+    applyBackendConfig(
+      'next-js-app-dir',
+      dir,
+      'https://api.instant.example',
+      'https://dash.instant.example',
+    );
+
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(dir, 'instant.config.ts'), 'utf8')).toBe(
+      `export default {
+  apiURI: "https://api.instant.example",
+  dashURI: "https://dash.instant.example",
+};
+`,
+    );
   });
 
   it('adds only the API URI to admin init', () => {
@@ -96,6 +123,7 @@ describe('applyBackendConfig', () => {
       applyBackendConfig('tanstack-start', dir, 'https://instant.example'),
     ).toThrow('Could not find init({ in scaffolded database file');
     expect(fs.readFileSync(clientPath, 'utf8')).toBe(clientContents);
+    expect(fs.pathExistsSync(path.join(dir, 'instant.config.ts'))).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it('configures the Python client', () => {
diff --git a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.ts b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.ts
index 0aaad505b2..5f04e33e9d 100644
--- a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.ts
+++ b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/backendConfig.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@ import {
 
 const normalizeAPIURI = (apiURI: string) => apiURI.replace(/\/+$/, '');
 
+const instantConfigContents = (apiURI: string, dashURI?: string) => {
+  const entries = [
+    `  apiURI: ${JSON.stringify(apiURI)},`,
+    dashURI ? `  dashURI: ${JSON.stringify(dashURI)},` : null,
+  ]
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join('\n');
+
+  return `export default {\n${entries}\n};\n`;
+};
+
 export const websocketURIFromAPIURI = (apiURI: string) => {
   let websocketURI: URL;
   try {
@@ -91,6 +102,7 @@ export const applyBackendConfig = (
   base: ProjectBase,
   projectDir: string,
   apiURI: string,
+  dashURI?: string,
 ) => {
   const normalizedAPIURI = normalizeAPIURI(apiURI);
   const websocketURI = websocketURIFromAPIURI(normalizedAPIURI);
@@ -112,4 +124,9 @@ export const applyBackendConfig = (
   for (const update of updates) {
     fs.writeFileSync(update.filePath, update.contents);
   }
+
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(projectDir, 'instant.config.ts'),
+    instantConfigContents(normalizedAPIURI, dashURI),
+  );
 };
diff --git a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/index.ts b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/index.ts
index 0f7d3f95f5..24ad7c172f 100644
--- a/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/index.ts
+++ b/client/packages/create-instant-app/src/index.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ const main = async () => {
       project.base,
       projectDir,
       process.env.INSTANT_CLI_API_URI,
+      process.env.INSTANT_CLI_DASH_URI,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/client/packages/version/src/version.ts b/client/packages/version/src/version.ts
index 5bfb50a276..78c9301904 100644
--- a/client/packages/version/src/version.ts
+++ b/client/packages/version/src/version.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 // Update the version here and merge your code to main to
 // publish a new version of all of the packages to npm.
 
-const version = 'v1.0.62';
+const version = 'v1.0.63';
 
 export { version };
diff --git a/client/www/components/dash/HomeStartGuide.tsx b/client/www/components/dash/HomeStartGuide.tsx
index 2dd5e2ac65..34496d01d5 100644
--- a/client/www/components/dash/HomeStartGuide.tsx
+++ b/client/www/components/dash/HomeStartGuide.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@ function randomInRange(min: number, max: number) {
   return Math.random() * (max - min) + min;
 }
 
+function shellQuote(value: string) {
+  return `'${value.replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`;
+}
+
 type Framework = 'nextjs' | 'expo';
+type CliBackend = { apiURI: string; dashURI: string };
 
 type Step = {
   id: string;
@@ -68,8 +73,12 @@ function getSteps(
   dirName: string,
   appId: string,
   adminToken: string,
+  backend?: CliBackend,
 ): Step[] {
   const config = frameworkConfig[framework];
+  const backendEnv = backend
+    ? `INSTANT_CLI_API_URI=${shellQuote(backend.apiURI)} INSTANT_CLI_DASH_URI=${shellQuote(backend.dashURI)} `
+    : '';
   const viewStep: Step =
     config.viewStep.type === 'link'
       ? {
@@ -89,7 +98,7 @@ function getSteps(
       id: 'start_guide_create_project',
       title: 'Create your project',
       description: `Scaffold a new ${framework === 'nextjs' ? 'Next.js' : 'Expo'} app with Instant pre-configured`,
-      command: `npx create-instant-app ${dirName} --app ${appId} --token ${adminToken} ${config.flag} --rules`,
+      command: `${backendEnv}npx create-instant-app ${dirName} --app ${appId} --token ${adminToken} ${config.flag} --rules`,
     },
     {
       id: 'start_guide_start_server',
@@ -101,12 +110,18 @@ function getSteps(
   ];
 }
 
-export function AppStart({ app }: { app: InstantApp }) {
+export function AppStart({
+  app,
+  backend,
+}: {
+  app: InstantApp;
+  backend?: CliBackend;
+}) {
   const { id: appId, title: appTitle, admin_token: adminToken } = app;
   const posthog = usePostHog();
   const [framework, setFramework] = useState<Framework>('nextjs');
   const dirName = toDirectoryName(appTitle);
-  const steps = getSteps(framework, dirName, appId, adminToken);
+  const steps = getSteps(framework, dirName, appId, adminToken, backend);
 
   const trackCopy = (stepId: string) => {
     posthog.capture(stepId, {
diff --git a/client/www/pages/dash/index.tsx b/client/www/pages/dash/index.tsx
index f33b51de9a..fd1611cb60 100644
--- a/client/www/pages/dash/index.tsx
+++ b/client/www/pages/dash/index.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import NextLink from 'next/link';
 import { ReactElement, useContext, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { usePostHog } from 'posthog-js/react';
 
-import config, { cliOauthParamName } from '@/lib/config';
+import config, { cliOauthParamName, isSelfHosted } from '@/lib/config';
 import { TokenContext } from '@/lib/contexts';
 import { jsonFetch, jsonMutate } from '@/lib/fetch';
 import { successToast } from '@/lib/toast';
@@ -796,11 +796,14 @@ function Home({ app, token }: { app: InstantApp; token: string }) {
   const sortedOrigins = stats?.origins
     ? Object.entries(stats.origins).sort(([, a], [, b]) => b - a)
     : [];
+  const cliBackend = isSelfHosted
+    ? { apiURI: config.apiURI, dashURI: window.location.origin }
+    : undefined;
 
   return (
     <div className="max-w-2xl p-4 text-sm md:text-base">
       <div className="pb-10">
-        <AppStart app={app} />
+        <AppStart app={app} backend={cliBackend} />
       </div>
 
       <SectionHeading>Next Steps</SectionHeading>