diff --git a/bin/eezo b/bin/eezo
index 875f926..45608af 100755
--- a/bin/eezo
+++ b/bin/eezo
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 # https://eezo.io/install writes with the released version.
 
 set -euo pipefail
+unset CDPATH
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 ROOT="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ usage() {
 eezo — the framework launcher
 
   eezo new <name>       scaffold a new application in ./<name>
+  eezo new .            scaffold a new application in the current directory, named after it
   eezo dev              serve, restarting on every save
   eezo build            stage the app for deployment (jars, migrations, Dockerfile)
   eezo deploy           ship it: build, deploy to Fly.io, migrate, wait for health
@@ -516,25 +518,64 @@ read_version_file() {
   }
 }
 
+# The scaffold's gitignore entries, either written to a new .gitignore file or appended if .gitignore
+# already exists, in which case it names the entries it appended
+write_gitignore() { # <file>
+  local file="$1" existed=0 line added=()
+  [ ! -f "$file" ] || existed=1
+  for line in target/ .bsp/ .metals/ .bloop/; do
+    [ "$existed" -eq 1 ] && grep -qxF "$line" "$file" && continue
+    added+=("$line")
+  done
+  [ "${#added[@]}" -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  if [ -s "$file" ] && [ -n "$(tail -c1 "$file")" ]; then echo >> "$file"; fi
+  printf '%s\n' "${added[@]}" >> "$file"
+  [ "$existed" -eq 0 ] || echo "added ${added[*]} to the existing .gitignore"
+}
+
 scaffold() {
-  name="${1:-}"
-  [ -n "$name" ] || { echo "eezo: new needs a name: eezo new myapp" >&2; exit 1; }
-  [ ! -e "$name" ] || { echo "eezo: ./$name already exists" >&2; exit 1; }
+  dir="${1:-}"
+  [ -n "$dir" ] || { echo "eezo: new needs a name: eezo new myapp, or eezo new . for the current directory ($(basename "$PWD"))" >&2; exit 1; }
+  # Any reference to the current directory such as: ./, "$PWD", or a symlink to it
+  if [ "$dir" -ef . ]; then dir="."; fi
+  if [ "$dir" = "." ]; then
+    # In place: the app is named after the directory
+    name="$(basename "$PWD")"
+    local existing=() file
+    for file in build.sbt build.sc build.mill project src; do
+      [ ! -e "$file" ] && [ ! -L "$file" ] || existing+=("$file")
+    done
+    [ "${#existing[@]}" -eq 0 ] || {
+      echo "eezo: this directory already has ${existing[*]}; new scaffolds a project only where there is none" >&2
+      exit 1
+    }
+    [ ! -L .gitignore ] || {
+      echo "eezo: .gitignore here is a symlink; new appends its entries only to a plain .gitignore" >&2
+      exit 1
+    }
+    [ ! -e .gitignore ] || { [ -f .gitignore ] && [ -r .gitignore ] && [ -w .gitignore ]; } || {
+      echo "eezo: .gitignore here is not a file new can append to; make it a writable file or remove it" >&2
+      exit 1
+    }
+  else
+    name="$dir"
+    [ ! -e "$dir" ] || { echo "eezo: ./$dir already exists" >&2; exit 1; }
+  fi
   read_version_file
 
-  mkdir -p "$name/project" "$name/src/main/scala/app" "$name/src/main/scala/models"
+  mkdir -p "$dir/project" "$dir/src/main/scala/app" "$dir/src/main/scala/models"
 
-  cat > "$name/project/build.properties" <<EOF
+  cat > "$dir/project/build.properties" <<EOF
 sbt.version=$SBT_VERSION
 EOF
 
-  cat > "$name/project/plugins.sbt" <<EOF
+  cat > "$dir/project/plugins.sbt" <<EOF
 // The route table generator: scans src/main/scala/app/ and your models into
 // io.eezo.generated.Routes, and provides the eezo* tasks (eezoDev, eezoStatus, ...).
 addSbtPlugin("io.eezo" % "sbt-eezo" % "$EEZO_VERSION")
 EOF
 
-  cat > "$name/build.sbt" <<EOF
+  cat > "$dir/build.sbt" <<EOF
 name         := "$name"
 scalaVersion := "$SCALA_VERSION"
 
@@ -549,7 +590,7 @@ run / fork           := true
 run / outputStrategy := Some(OutputStrategy.StdoutOutput)
 EOF
 
-  cat > "$name/src/main/scala/Main.scala" <<'EOF'
+  cat > "$dir/src/main/scala/Main.scala" <<'EOF'
 import io.eezo.EezoApp
 import io.eezo.db.Schema
 import io.eezo.generated.Routes
@@ -574,7 +615,7 @@ object Main extends EezoApp {
 }
 EOF
 
-  cat > "$name/src/main/scala/app/Index.scala" <<'EOF'
+  cat > "$dir/src/main/scala/app/Index.scala" <<'EOF'
 package app
 
 import io.eezo.core.html.*
@@ -600,17 +641,11 @@ object Index {
 }
 EOF
 
-  cat > "$name/.gitignore" <<'EOF'
-target/
-.bsp/
-.metals/
-.bloop/
-EOF
-
-  echo "created ./$name (eezo $EEZO_VERSION, Scala $SCALA_VERSION, sbt $SBT_VERSION)"
+  echo "created $name at $(cd -- "$dir" 2> /dev/null && pwd) (eezo $EEZO_VERSION, Scala $SCALA_VERSION, sbt $SBT_VERSION)"
+  write_gitignore "$dir/.gitignore"
   echo
   echo "next:"
-  echo "  cd $name"
+  [ "$dir" = "." ] || echo "  cd $name"
   echo "  eezo dev           # serve on :8080, restart on save"
   echo "  eezo routes        # what is mounted"
 }
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.md b/docs/reference/cli.md
index 5139ca0..b66c51b 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.md
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ layer can shadow it. No arguments runs the application.
 
 | command | layer | needs | what it does |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| `new <name>` | launcher | `~/.eezo/eezo-version` | scaffolds `./<name>` |
+| `new <name>`, `new .` | launcher | `~/.eezo/eezo-version` | scaffolds `./<name>`, or the current directory, named after it |
 | `dev` | sbt task | | serves with restart on save, the route listing and the reload client; Ctrl-C stops it |
 | `routes [--json]` | http layer | | the mounted table and boot's warnings |
 | `db` | database layer | | the eight schema commands, listed; `db help` is the same |
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ the command's answer and not a build failure:
   .gitignore
 ```
 
+`eezo new .` writes the same files into the current directory.
+It refuses if the directory already has a build definition (`build.sbt`, `build.sc`, `build.mill`), a `project/` or a `src/` directory.
+An existing `.gitignore` keeps its lines; the entries it lacks are appended to it, and `new` names them.
+It refuses a `.gitignore` that is a symlink or that it cannot append to.
+
 ## Related
 
 [Configuration](configuration.md) is what the commands read from the environment.
diff --git a/docs/tutorials/getting-started.md b/docs/tutorials/getting-started.md
index 9e81f33..8df2a24 100644
--- a/docs/tutorials/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/tutorials/getting-started.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ eezo new bookshelf
 ```
 
 ```
-created ./bookshelf (eezo 0.2.0, Scala 3.8.4, sbt 1.12.14)
+created bookshelf at /home/<username>/projects/bookshelf (eezo 0.2.0, Scala 3.8.4, sbt 1.12.14)
 
 next:
   cd bookshelf