diff --git a/beeflow/client/core.py b/beeflow/client/core.py
index d23d3d6f..ef3f15a1 100644
--- a/beeflow/client/core.py
+++ b/beeflow/client/core.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 will be started.
 """
 import os
+import re
 import signal
 import subprocess
 import socket
@@ -17,10 +18,12 @@
 import datetime
 import time
 import importlib.metadata
+import packaging
 
 import daemon
 import typer
 
+
 from beeflow.client import bee_client
 from beeflow.common.config_driver import BeeConfig as bc
 from beeflow.common import cli_connection
@@ -160,6 +163,22 @@ def need_slurmrestd():
             and not bc.get('slurm', 'use_commands'))
 
 
+def get_slurmrestd_version():
+    """Get the newest slurmrestd version."""
+    resp = subprocess.run(["slurmrestd", "-s", "list"], check=True, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                          text=True).stderr
+    resp = resp.split("\n")
+    # Confirm slurmrestd format is the same
+    # If the slurmrestd list outputs has changed potentially something else has broken
+    if "Possible OpenAPI plugins" not in resp[0]:
+        print("Slurmrestd OpenAPI format has changed and things may break")
+    api_versions = [line.split('/')[1] for line in resp[1:] if re.search(r"openapi/v\d+\.\d+\.\d+",
+                                                                         line)]
+    # Sort the versions and grab the newest one
+    newest_api = sorted(api_versions, key=packaging.version.Version, reverse=True)[0]
+    return newest_api
+
+
 def init_components():
     """Initialize the components and component manager."""
     mgr = ComponentManager()
@@ -242,6 +261,9 @@ def start_slurm_restd():
             bee_workdir = bc.get('DEFAULT', 'bee_workdir')
             slurmrestd_log = '/'.join([bee_workdir, 'logs', 'restd.log'])
             openapi_version = bc.get('slurm', 'openapi_version')
+            if not openapi_version:
+                # Detect the newest version of the slurmrestd API
+                openapi_version = get_slurmrestd_version()
             slurm_args = f'-s openapi/{openapi_version}'
             # The following adds the db plugin we opted not to use for now
             # slurm_args = f'-s openapi/{openapi_version},openapi/db{openapi_version}'
diff --git a/beeflow/common/config_driver.py b/beeflow/common/config_driver.py
index 3b26432a..6781445f 100644
--- a/beeflow/common/config_driver.py
+++ b/beeflow/common/config_driver.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import platform
 import random
 import shutil
-import sys
 import textwrap
 import typer
 
@@ -102,7 +101,8 @@ def init(cls, userconfig=None, **_kwargs):
             with open(USERCONFIG_FILE, encoding='utf-8') as fp:
                 config.read_file(fp)
         except FileNotFoundError:
-            sys.exit('Configuration file does not exist! Please try running `beeflow config new`.')
+            print("Configuration file is missing! Generating new config file.")
+            new(USERCONFIG_FILE)
         # remove default keys from the other sections
         default_keys = list(config['DEFAULT'])
         config = {sec_name: {key: config[sec_name][key] for key in config[sec_name]