diff --git a/cmd/ftl/cmd_config.go b/cmd/ftl/cmd_config.go
index f43901936e..59a9ee4272 100644
--- a/cmd/ftl/cmd_config.go
+++ b/cmd/ftl/cmd_config.go
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ import (
 
 	"connectrpc.com/connect"
 
+	"github.com/alecthomas/types/optional"
+
 	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/controller/admin"
 	ftlv1 "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/protos/xyz/block/ftl/v1"
 	cf "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/common/configuration"
-	"github.com/alecthomas/types/optional"
 )
 
 type configCmd struct {
@@ -91,13 +92,7 @@ func (s *configGetCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, adminClient admin.Client) error
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	var value any
-	err = json.Unmarshal(resp.Msg.Value, &value)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", s.Ref, err)
-	}
-	fmt.Println(value)
+	fmt.Printf("%s\n", resp.Msg.Value)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/ftl/cmd_secret.go b/cmd/ftl/cmd_secret.go
index e185bccb57..a2ffa1dc70 100644
--- a/cmd/ftl/cmd_secret.go
+++ b/cmd/ftl/cmd_secret.go
@@ -94,12 +94,7 @@ func (s *secretGetCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, adminClient admin.Client) error
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	var value any
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(resp.Msg.Value, &value); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", s.Ref, err)
-	}
-	fmt.Println(value)
+	fmt.Printf("%s\n", resp.Msg.Value)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/common/projectconfig/integration_test.go b/common/projectconfig/integration_test.go
index 8414b7e265..a9ea3ee29a 100644
--- a/common/projectconfig/integration_test.go
+++ b/common/projectconfig/integration_test.go
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
-	in "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/integration"
 	"github.com/alecthomas/assert/v2"
+
+	in "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/integration"
 )
 
 func TestCmdsCreateProjectTomlFilesIfNonexistent(t *testing.T) {
@@ -46,6 +47,6 @@ func TestDefaultToRootWhenModuleDirsMissing(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestConfigCmdWithoutController(t *testing.T) {
 	in.RunWithoutController(t, "configs-ftl-project.toml",
-		in.ExecWithExpectedOutput("value\n", "ftl", "config", "get", "key"),
+		in.ExecWithExpectedOutput("\"value\"\n", "ftl", "config", "get", "key"),
 	)
 }
diff --git a/common/projectconfig/projectconfig.go b/common/projectconfig/projectconfig.go
index dc393e9cfc..dfa65c3b19 100644
--- a/common/projectconfig/projectconfig.go
+++ b/common/projectconfig/projectconfig.go
@@ -136,21 +136,6 @@ func loadFile(path string) (Config, error) {
 		}
 		return Config{}, fmt.Errorf("unknown configuration keys: %s", strings.Join(keys, ", "))
 	}
-
-	// make modules-dir absolute to mimic the behavior of the CLI
-	for i, dir := range config.ModuleDirs {
-		if !filepath.IsAbs(dir) {
-			config.ModuleDirs[i] = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(path), dir)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// make external-dirs absolute to mimic the behavior of the CLI
-	for i, dir := range config.ExternalDirs {
-		if !filepath.IsAbs(dir) {
-			config.ExternalDirs[i] = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(path), dir)
-		}
-	}
-
 	return config, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/common/projectconfig/projectconfig_test.go b/common/projectconfig/projectconfig_test.go
index f44ca5e87f..c9fb9fdfe2 100644
--- a/common/projectconfig/projectconfig_test.go
+++ b/common/projectconfig/projectconfig_test.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ func TestProjectConfig(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		ModuleDirs:   []string{"testdata/a/b/c", "testdata/d"},
-		ExternalDirs: []string{"testdata/e/f", "testdata/g/h"},
+		ModuleDirs:   []string{"a/b/c", "d"},
+		ExternalDirs: []string{"e/f", "g/h"},
 		Commands: Commands{
 			Startup: []string{"echo 'Executing global pre-build command'"},
 		},