diff --git a/api/src/app.ts b/api/src/app.ts
index 33a1e27..e423b4f 100644
--- a/api/src/app.ts
+++ b/api/src/app.ts
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ dotenv.config()
 
 instantiateLogger()
 
-if (verifyEnvVariables()) {
-  process.exit(ReturnCode.InvalidEnv)
-}
+if (verifyEnvVariables()) process.exit(ReturnCode.InvalidEnv)
 
 const app = express()
 
@@ -85,7 +83,7 @@ app.use(
 /***********************************
  *         Enabling CORS           *
  ***********************************/
-if (MODE === ModeType.Server || CORS === CorsType.ENABLED) {
+if (CORS === CorsType.ENABLED) {
   const whiteList: string[] = []
   WHITELIST?.split(' ')
     ?.filter((url) => !!url)
@@ -125,6 +123,7 @@ if (MODE === ModeType.Server) {
     })
   )
 }
+
 app.use(express.json({ limit: '100mb' }))
 app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, '../public')))
 
diff --git a/api/src/controllers/code.ts b/api/src/controllers/code.ts
index d4b18fd..a102330 100644
--- a/api/src/controllers/code.ts
+++ b/api/src/controllers/code.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ import express from 'express'
 import { Request, Security, Route, Tags, Post, Body } from 'tsoa'
 import { ExecuteReturnJson, ExecutionController } from './internal'
 import { ExecuteReturnJsonResponse } from '.'
-import { getPreProgramVariables, parseLogToArray } from '../utils'
+import {
+  getDesktopUserAutoExecPath,
+  getPreProgramVariables,
+  ModeType,
+  parseLogToArray
+} from '../utils'
+import { readFile } from '@sasjs/utils'
 
 interface ExecuteSASCodePayload {
   /**
@@ -34,13 +40,18 @@ const executeSASCode = async (
   { code }: ExecuteSASCodePayload
 ) => {
   const { user } = req
+  const userAutoExec =
+    process.env.MODE === ModeType.Server
+      ? user?.autoExec
+      : await readFile(getDesktopUserAutoExecPath())
+
   try {
     const { webout, log, httpHeaders } =
       (await new ExecutionController().executeProgram(
         code,
         getPreProgramVariables(req),
         { ...req.query, _debug: 131 },
-        { userAutoExec: user?.autoExec },
+        { userAutoExec },
         true
       )) as ExecuteReturnJson
 
diff --git a/api/src/utils/file.ts b/api/src/utils/file.ts
index 007ad6f..7df3d9d 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/file.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/file.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import path from 'path'
+import { homedir } from 'os'
 
 export const apiRoot = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..')
 export const codebaseRoot = path.join(apiRoot, '..')
@@ -13,6 +14,11 @@ export const sasJSCoreMacrosInfo = path.join(sasJSCoreMacros, '.macrolist')
 
 export const getWebBuildFolder = () => path.join(codebaseRoot, 'web', 'build')
 
+export const getSasjsHomeFolder = () => path.join(homedir(), '.sasjs-server')
+
+export const getDesktopUserAutoExecPath = () =>
+  path.join(getSasjsHomeFolder(), 'user-autoexec.sas')
+
 export const getSasjsRootFolder = () => process.driveLoc
 
 export const getAppStreamConfigPath = () =>
diff --git a/api/src/utils/setupFolders.ts b/api/src/utils/setupFolders.ts
index 2b71f63..4d66455 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/setupFolders.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/setupFolders.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
-import { createFolder } from '@sasjs/utils'
-import { getFilesFolder } from './file'
+import { createFile, createFolder, fileExists } from '@sasjs/utils'
+import { getDesktopUserAutoExecPath, getFilesFolder } from './file'
+import { ModeType } from './verifyEnvVariables'
 
 export const setupFolders = async () => {
   const drivePath = getFilesFolder()
   await createFolder(drivePath)
+
+  if (process.env.MODE === ModeType.Desktop) {
+    if (!(await fileExists(getDesktopUserAutoExecPath()))) {
+      await createFile(getDesktopUserAutoExecPath(), '')
+    }
+  }
 }