diff --git a/internal/cmd/beta/beta_cmd.go b/internal/cmd/beta/beta_cmd.go
index a00edcdae..65620a890 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/beta/beta_cmd.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/beta/beta_cmd.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/stateful/runme/v3/internal/cmd/beta/server"
 	"github.com/stateful/runme/v3/internal/config"
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ All commands use the runme.yaml configuration file.`,
 				cmd.SetErr(io.Discard)
 			}
 
-			err := autoconfig.InvokeForCommand(func(cfg *config.Config) error {
+			err := autoconfig.InvokeForCommand(func(cfg *config.Config, log *zap.Logger) error {
 				// Override the filename if provided.
 				if cFlags.filename != "" {
 					cfg.Project.Filename = cFlags.filename
@@ -54,10 +55,13 @@ All commands use the runme.yaml configuration file.`,
 					)
 				}
 
+				log.Info("final configuration", zap.Any("config", cfg))
+
 				return nil
 			})
-			// print the error to stderr but don't return it because error modes
-			// are neither fully baked yet nor ready for users to consume
+
+			// Print the error to stderr but don't return it because error modes
+			// are neither fully baked yet nor ready for users to consume.
 			if err != nil {
 				_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(cmd.ErrOrStderr(), "%s\n", err)
 			}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/beta/run_cmd.go b/internal/cmd/beta/run_cmd.go
index 8bcd1e9a0..1df64b12b 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/beta/run_cmd.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/beta/run_cmd.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func runCmd(*commonFlags) *cobra.Command {
-	var serverAddress string
+	var remote bool
 
 	cmd := cobra.Command{
 		Use:     "run [command1 command2 ...]",
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Run all blocks from the "setup" and "teardown" tags:
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return autoconfig.InvokeForCommand(
 				func(
-					client *runnerv2client.Client,
+					clientFactory autoconfig.ClientFactory,
 					cmdFactory command.Factory,
 					filters []project.Filter,
 					logger *zap.Logger,
@@ -74,9 +74,10 @@ Run all blocks from the "setup" and "teardown" tags:
 
 					ctx := cmd.Context()
 
-					if serverAddress != "" && client != nil {
-						if serverAddress != "local" {
-							return errors.New("only local server is supported")
+					if remote {
+						client, err := clientFactory()
+						if err != nil {
+							return err
 						}
 
 						sessionResp, err := client.CreateSession(
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ Run all blocks from the "setup" and "teardown" tags:
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&serverAddress, "server", "s", "", "Server address to connect to. Use 'local' for local server.")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&remote, "remote", "r", false, "Run commands on a remote server.")
 
 	return &cmd
 }
diff --git a/internal/config/autoconfig/autoconfig.go b/internal/config/autoconfig/autoconfig.go
index e344308cc..3eb648c8c 100644
--- a/internal/config/autoconfig/autoconfig.go
+++ b/internal/config/autoconfig/autoconfig.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func mustProvide(err error) {
 
 func init() {
 	mustProvide(container.Provide(getClient))
+	mustProvide(container.Provide(getClientFactory))
 	mustProvide(container.Provide(getCommandFactory))
 	mustProvide(container.Provide(getConfigLoader))
 	mustProvide(container.Provide(getDocker))
@@ -76,6 +77,39 @@ func init() {
 	mustProvide(container.Provide(getUserConfigDir))
 }
 
+func getClient(cfg *config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) (*runnerv2client.Client, error) {
+	if cfg.Server == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	var opts []grpc.DialOption
+
+	if cfg.Server.Tls != nil && cfg.Server.Tls.Enabled {
+		tlsConfig, err := runmetls.LoadClientConfig(cfg.Server.Tls.CertFile, cfg.Server.Tls.KeyFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.WithStack(err)
+		}
+		creds := credentials.NewTLS(tlsConfig)
+		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(creds))
+	} else {
+		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	}
+
+	return runnerv2client.New(
+		cfg.Server.Address,
+		logger,
+		opts...,
+	)
+}
+
+type ClientFactory func() (*runnerv2client.Client, error)
+
+func getClientFactory(cfg *config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) ClientFactory {
+	return func() (*runnerv2client.Client, error) {
+		return getClient(cfg, logger)
+	}
+}
+
 func getCommandFactory(docker *dockerexec.Docker, logger *zap.Logger, proj *project.Project) command.Factory {
 	return command.NewFactory(
 		command.WithDocker(docker),
@@ -112,31 +146,6 @@ func getDocker(c *config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) (*dockerexec.Docker, error)
 	return dockerexec.New(options)
 }
 
-func getClient(cfg *config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) (*runnerv2client.Client, error) {
-	if cfg.Server == nil {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
-	var opts []grpc.DialOption
-
-	if cfg.Server.Tls != nil && cfg.Server.Tls.Enabled {
-		tlsConfig, err := runmetls.LoadClientConfig(cfg.Server.Tls.CertFile, cfg.Server.Tls.KeyFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.WithStack(err)
-		}
-		creds := credentials.NewTLS(tlsConfig)
-		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(creds))
-	} else {
-		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
-	}
-
-	return runnerv2client.New(
-		cfg.Server.Address,
-		logger,
-		opts...,
-	)
-}
-
 func getLogger(c *config.Config) (*zap.Logger, error) {
 	if c == nil || c.Log == nil || !c.Log.Enabled {
 		return zap.NewNop(), nil
@@ -176,32 +185,28 @@ func getProject(c *config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) (*project.Project, error)
 		project.WithLogger(logger),
 	}
 
-	if c.Project.Filename == "" {
+	if c.Project.Filename != "" {
 		return project.NewFileProject(c.Project.Filename, opts...)
 	}
 
-	if c.Project.Root != "" {
-		projDir := c.Project.Root
-		// If no project directory is specified, use the current directory.
-		if projDir == "" {
-			projDir = "."
-		}
-
-		opts = append(
-			opts,
-			project.WithIgnoreFilePatterns(c.Project.Ignore...),
-			project.WithRespectGitignore(!c.Project.DisableGitignore),
-			project.WithEnvFilesReadOrder(c.Project.Env.Sources),
-		)
+	projDir := c.Project.Root
+	// If no project directory is specified, use the current directory.
+	if projDir == "" {
+		projDir = "."
+	}
 
-		if c.Project.FindRepoUpward {
-			opts = append(opts, project.WithFindRepoUpward())
-		}
+	opts = append(
+		opts,
+		project.WithIgnoreFilePatterns(c.Project.Ignore...),
+		project.WithRespectGitignore(!c.Project.DisableGitignore),
+		project.WithEnvFilesReadOrder(c.Project.Env.Sources),
+	)
 
-		return project.NewDirProject(projDir, opts...)
+	if c.Project.FindRepoUpward {
+		opts = append(opts, project.WithFindRepoUpward())
 	}
 
-	return nil, nil
+	return project.NewDirProject(projDir, opts...)
 }
 
 func getProjectFilters(c *config.Config) ([]project.Filter, error) {
diff --git a/internal/config/config.schema.json b/internal/config/config.schema.json
index dd9202857..85e2e24e3 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.schema.json
+++ b/internal/config/config.schema.json
@@ -139,6 +139,17 @@
         "address"
       ]
     },
+    "client": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "server_address": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "server_address"
+      ]
+    },
     "log": {
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {