diff --git a/pulsar/main.py b/pulsar/main.py
index eae928c5e06860f694070e3770b9a62247b94263..6cada702250d0f3363cc46850e7e9b7287621f4b 100644
--- a/pulsar/main.py
+++ b/pulsar/main.py
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ def load_app_configuration(ini_path=None, app_conf_path=None, app_name=None, loc
     local_conf = local_conf or {}
     if app_conf_path is None and "app_config" in local_conf:
         app_conf_path = absolute_config_path(local_conf["app_config"], config_dir)
+        if not os.path.exists(app_conf_path) and os.path.exists(app_conf_path + ".sample"):
+            app_conf_path = app_conf_path + ".sample"
     elif ini_path:
         # If not explicit app.yml file found - look next to server.ini -
         # be it in pulsar root, some temporary staging directory, or /etc.
diff --git a/scripts/pulsar b/scripts/pulsar
index d48179610190682b289abab1e25cc0278b62ee14..f6908cdf37066a08b1d4beb4090193436133eb67 100755
--- a/scripts/pulsar
+++ b/scripts/pulsar
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Extra Options:
 EOF
 }
 
-MODE=""
+: ${MODE:=""}
 while :
 do
     case "$1" in
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ do
     esac
 done
 
-SCRIPTS_DIRECTORY="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+SCRIPTS_DIRECTORY="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )/scripts"
 PROJECT_DIRECTORY=$SCRIPTS_DIRECTORY/..
 
 PULSAR_CONFIG_DIR=${PULSAR_CONFIG_DIR:-"."}