diff --git a/docs/docs/100-reference/01-command-line/acorn_dev.md b/docs/docs/100-reference/01-command-line/acorn_dev.md
index 75dde52f1..6c7b3c581 100644
--- a/docs/docs/100-reference/01-command-line/acorn_dev.md
+++ b/docs/docs/100-reference/01-command-line/acorn_dev.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ acorn dev <IMAGE>
 acorn dev .
 acorn dev --name wandering-sound
 acorn dev --name wandering-sound <IMAGE>
+acorn dev --name wandering-sound --clone [acorn args]
 
 ```
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ acorn dev --name wandering-sound <IMAGE>
       --args-file string     Default args to apply to run/update command (default ".args.acorn")
       --auto-upgrade         Enabled automatic upgrades.
   -b, --bidirectional-sync   In interactive mode download changes in addition to uploading
-      --clone                Clone the vcs repository for the given app
+      --clone                Clone the vcs repository and infer the build context for the given app allowing for local development
   -f, --file string          Name of the build file (default "DIRECTORY/Acornfile")
   -h, --help                 help for dev
       --help-advanced        Show verbose help text
diff --git a/pkg/cli/dev.go b/pkg/cli/dev.go
index 183f45e4c..f261a0985 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/dev.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/dev.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ acorn dev <IMAGE>
 acorn dev .
 acorn dev --name wandering-sound
 acorn dev --name wandering-sound <IMAGE>
+acorn dev --name wandering-sound --clone [acorn args]
 `})
 
 	// This will produce an error if the volume flag doesn't exist or a completion function has already
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ type Dev struct {
 	RunArgs
 	BidirectionalSync bool `usage:"In interactive mode download changes in addition to uploading" short:"b"`
 	Replace           bool `usage:"Replace the app with only defined values, resetting undefined fields to default values" json:"replace,omitempty"` // Replace sets patchMode to false, resulting in a full update, resetting all undefined fields to their defaults
-	Clone             bool `usage:"Clone the vcs repository for the given app"`
+	Clone             bool `usage:"Clone the vcs repository and infer the build context for the given app allowing for local development"`
 	HelpAdvanced      bool `usage:"Show verbose help text"`
 	out               io.Writer
 	client            ClientFactory
@@ -73,16 +74,14 @@ func (s *Dev) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
 		acornfile, buildContext, err := vcs.ImageInfoFromApp(cmd.Context(), app)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		bc := app.Status.Staged.AppImage.VCS.BuildContext
-		if bc != "" {
-			args = append(args, buildContext)
-		}
+		// We append the build context to the start of the args so that it gets set, and we can pass any args down to the running app
+		args = append([]string{buildContext}, args...)
+
 		imageSource = imagesource.NewImageSource(s.client.AcornConfigFile(), acornfile, s.ArgsFile, args, nil, z.Dereference(s.AutoUpgrade))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/vcs/vcs.go b/pkg/vcs/vcs.go
index f27501c0c..f022b52a1 100644
--- a/pkg/vcs/vcs.go
+++ b/pkg/vcs/vcs.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func ImageInfoFromApp(ctx context.Context, app *apiv1.App) (string, string, erro
 	}
 
 	for _, remote := range vcs.Remotes {
+		// Since we use ssh auth to clone the repo we need a git url but will sometimes get http urls
 		var gitUrl string
 		httpUrl, err := url.Parse(remote)
 		if err == nil {
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ func ImageInfoFromApp(ctx context.Context, app *apiv1.App) (string, string, erro
 			gitUrl = remote
 		}
 
+		// Determine the repository name from the repo url
 		idx := strings.LastIndex(remote, "/")
 		if idx < 0 || idx >= len(remote) {
 			fmt.Printf("failed to determine repository name %q\n", remote)
@@ -163,12 +165,7 @@ func ImageInfoFromApp(ctx context.Context, app *apiv1.App) (string, string, erro
 		}
 
 		// Get the build context
-		var buildContext string
-		if vcs.BuildContext == "." {
-			buildContext = workdir
-		} else {
-			buildContext = filepath.Join(workdir, vcs.BuildContext)
-		}
+		buildContext := filepath.Join(workdir, vcs.BuildContext)
 
 		return acornfile, buildContext, nil
 	}