diff --git a/pkg/cmdutil/create.go b/pkg/cmdutil/create.go
index 4b42d84..7d5ec42 100644
--- a/pkg/cmdutil/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmdutil/create.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record/util"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -19,11 +21,13 @@ type Creator interface {
 	Runnable
 	GeneratePrefix() string
 	Build() runtime.Object
+	Set(entity runtime.Object)
 }
 
 type CreateOptions struct {
 	*GenericOperationOptions
-	Delegate Creator
+	Delegate       Creator
+	fromDescriptor bool
 }
 
 func NewCreateOptions(resourceType ResourceType, client HalkyonEntity) *CreateOptions {
@@ -37,14 +41,74 @@ func NewCreateOptions(resourceType ResourceType, client HalkyonEntity) *CreateOp
 	return c
 }
 
-func (o *CreateOptions) Complete(name string, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	if err := o.Delegate.Complete(name, cmd, args); err != nil {
-		return err
+func entityNames(registry entitiesRegistry) []string {
+	names := make([]string, 0, len(registry))
+	for _, entity := range registry {
+		names = append(names, entity.Name)
 	}
+	return names
+}
 
+func (o *CreateOptions) Complete(name string, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if len(args) == 1 {
 		o.Name = args[0]
 	}
+
+	// look for locally existing components that also don't already exist on the remote cluster
+	currentDir, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	hd := LoadAvailableHalkyonEntities(currentDir)
+	entities := hd.GetDefinedEntitiesWith(o.ResourceType)
+	size := len(entities)
+	t := o.ResourceType.String()
+	if size > 0 {
+		// if we have an entity with the same name as the current directory, use it by default
+		currentDirName := filepath.Base(currentDir)
+		if entity, ok := entities[currentDirName]; ok {
+			o.Name = entity.Name
+			o.fromDescriptor = true
+			o.Delegate.Set(entity.Entity)
+		} else {
+			names := entityNames(entities)
+			if size == 1 {
+				if o.Name == names[0] {
+					entity := entities[o.Name]
+					if IsInteractive(cmd) && ui.Proceed(fmt.Sprintf("Found %s named %s in %s, use it", t, o.Name, entity.Path)) {
+						o.Name = entity.Name
+						o.fromDescriptor = true
+						o.Delegate.Set(entity.Entity)
+					}
+				}
+			} else if IsInteractive(cmd) && ui.Proceed(fmt.Sprintf("Found %d %s(s), do you want to %s from them", size, t, o.operationName)) {
+				o.Name = ui.Select(t, names, o.Name)
+			}
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	entity, ok := entities[o.Name]
+	if ok {
+		ui.OutputSelection(fmt.Sprintf("Selected %s from %s", t, entity.Path), o.Name)
+		o.fromDescriptor = true
+		// set the component on the delegate so it uses it when we want ask to create it
+		o.Delegate.Set(entity.Entity)
+		exists, err := o.Exists()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if exists {
+			return fmt.Errorf("a %s named '%s' already exists, please use update instead (NOT YET IMPLEMENTED)", o.ResourceType, o.Name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !o.fromDescriptor {
+		if err := o.Delegate.Complete(name, cmd, args); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	for {
 		o.Name = ui.Ask("Name", o.Name, o.generateName())
 		err := validation.NameValidator(o.Name)
@@ -68,9 +132,23 @@ func (o *CreateOptions) Complete(name string, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (o *CreateOptions) Exists() (bool, error) {
+	err := o.Client.Get(o.Name, v1.GetOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if util.IsKeyNotFoundError(errors.Cause(err)) {
+			return false, nil
+		} else {
+			return false, err
+		}
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 func (o *CreateOptions) Validate() error {
-	if err := o.Delegate.Validate(); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if !o.fromDescriptor {
+		if err := o.Delegate.Validate(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/hal/cli/capability/create.go b/pkg/hal/cli/capability/create.go
index 733726c..64e46b1 100644
--- a/pkg/hal/cli/capability/create.go
+++ b/pkg/hal/cli/capability/create.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ type createOptions struct {
 	paramPairs  []string
 	parameters  []halkyon.NameValuePair
 	*cmdutil.CreateOptions
+	target *v1beta1.Capability
+}
+
+func (o *createOptions) Set(entity runtime.Object) {
+	o.target = entity.(*v1beta1.Capability)
 }
 
 var (
diff --git a/pkg/hal/cli/component/create.go b/pkg/hal/cli/component/create.go
index c430fab..fe09dca 100644
--- a/pkg/hal/cli/component/create.go
+++ b/pkg/hal/cli/component/create.go
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ type createOptions struct {
 	Template  string
 	P         string
 	scaffoldP string
+	target    *v1beta1.Component
 }
 
 func (o *createOptions) GeneratePrefix() string {
@@ -92,6 +93,10 @@ func (o *createOptions) Build() runtime.Object {
 	}
 }
 
+func (o *createOptions) Set(entity runtime.Object) {
+	o.target = entity.(*v1beta1.Component)
+}
+
 var (
 	createExample = ktemplates.Examples(`  # Create a new Halkyon component located in the 'foo' child directory of the current directory
   %[1]s foo`)
diff --git a/pkg/hal/cli/link/create.go b/pkg/hal/cli/link/create.go
index 55d0c10..f89d551 100644
--- a/pkg/hal/cli/link/create.go
+++ b/pkg/hal/cli/link/create.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type createOptions struct {
 	linkType   link.LinkType
 	*cmdutil.CreateOptions
 	*cmdutil.EnvOptions
+	target *link.Link
 }
 
 func (o *createOptions) SetEnvOptions(env *cmdutil.EnvOptions) {
@@ -106,6 +107,10 @@ func (o *createOptions) GeneratePrefix() string {
 	return o.targetName
 }
 
+func (o *createOptions) Set(entity runtime.Object) {
+	o.target = entity.(*link.Link)
+}
+
 func NewCmdCreate(parent string) *cobra.Command {
 	c := k8s.GetClient()
 	o := &createOptions{}