diff --git a/build/zitadel/Dockerfile b/build/zitadel/Dockerfile
index cc8c972ac7..eea5666ebf 100644
--- a/build/zitadel/Dockerfile
+++ b/build/zitadel/Dockerfile
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ RUN apt install openssl tzdata tar
 
 # cockroach binary used to backup database
 RUN mkdir /usr/local/lib/cockroach
-RUN wget -qO- https://binaries.cockroachdb.com/cockroach-v21.2.5.linux-amd64.tgz \
-    | tar  xvz && cp -i cockroach-v21.2.5.linux-amd64/cockroach /usr/local/bin/
-RUN rm -r cockroach-v21.2.5.linux-amd64
+RUN wget -qO- https://binaries.cockroachdb.com/cockroach-v21.2.9.linux-amd64.tgz \
+    | tar  xvz && cp -i cockroach-v21.2.9.linux-amd64/cockroach /usr/local/bin/
+RUN rm -r cockroach-v21.2.9.linux-amd64
 
 #######################
 ## generates static files
diff --git a/cmd/admin/key/masterkey.go b/cmd/admin/key/masterkey.go
index cae2535661..e1d3792b8a 100644
--- a/cmd/admin/key/masterkey.go
+++ b/cmd/admin/key/masterkey.go
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ var (
 )
 
 func AddMasterKeyFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	if cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMasterKey) != nil {
+		return
+	}
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(flagMasterKey, flagMasterKeyShort, "", "path to the masterkey for en/decryption keys")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(flagMasterKeyArg, "", "masterkey as argument for en/decryption keys")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Bool(flagMasterKeyEnv, false, "read masterkey for en/decryption keys from environment variable (ZITADEL_MASTERKEY)")
diff --git a/cmd/admin/setup/config.go b/cmd/admin/setup/config.go
index 95248ae335..ccdd89ff5f 100644
--- a/cmd/admin/setup/config.go
+++ b/cmd/admin/setup/config.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func MustNewConfig(v *viper.Viper) *Config {
 			mapstructure.StringToSliceHookFunc(","),
 		)),
 	)
+	logging.OnError(err).Fatal("unable to read default config")
 
 	err = config.Log.SetLogger()
 	logging.OnError(err).Fatal("unable to set logger")
@@ -58,6 +59,12 @@ func MustNewSteps(v *viper.Viper) *Steps {
 	err := v.ReadConfig(bytes.NewBuffer(defaultSteps))
 	logging.OnError(err).Fatal("unable to read setup steps")
 
+	for _, file := range stepFiles {
+		v.SetConfigFile(file)
+		err := v.MergeInConfig()
+		logging.WithFields("file", file).OnError(err).Warn("unable to read setup file")
+	}
+
 	steps := new(Steps)
 	err = v.Unmarshal(steps,
 		viper.DecodeHook(mapstructure.ComposeDecodeHookFunc(
diff --git a/cmd/admin/setup/setup.go b/cmd/admin/setup/setup.go
index 69d7e38e59..f64f65e8a7 100644
--- a/cmd/admin/setup/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/admin/setup/setup.go
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ import (
 var (
 	//go:embed steps.yaml
 	defaultSteps []byte
+	stepFiles    []string
 )
 
 func New() *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "setup",
 		Short: "setup ZITADEL instance",
 		Long: `sets up data to start ZITADEL.
@@ -37,6 +38,15 @@ Requirements:
 			Setup(config, steps, masterKey)
 		},
 	}
+
+	Flags(cmd)
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func Flags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringArrayVar(&stepFiles, "steps", nil, "paths to step files to overwrite default steps")
+	key.AddMasterKeyFlag(cmd)
 }
 
 func Setup(config *Config, steps *Steps, masterKey string) {
@@ -79,3 +89,13 @@ func Setup(config *Config, steps *Steps, masterKey string) {
 	err = migration.Migrate(ctx, eventstoreClient, steps.S3DefaultInstance)
 	logging.OnError(err).Fatal("unable to migrate step 4")
 }
+
+func initSteps(v *viper.Viper, files ...string) func() {
+	return func() {
+		for _, file := range files {
+			v.SetConfigFile(file)
+			err := v.MergeInConfig()
+			logging.WithFields("file", file).OnError(err).Warn("unable to read setup file")
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/admin/start/flags.go b/cmd/admin/start/flags.go
index 5768401ea5..0d96229e6f 100644
--- a/cmd/admin/start/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/admin/start/flags.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ func startFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	bindBoolFlag(cmd, "externalSecure", "if ZITADEL will be served on HTTPS")
 
 	key.AddMasterKeyFlag(cmd)
-
 }
 
 func bindStringFlag(cmd *cobra.Command, name, description string) {
diff --git a/cmd/admin/start/start_from_init.go b/cmd/admin/start/start_from_init.go
index bbdf93e0e4..ca2bfc9795 100644
--- a/cmd/admin/start/start_from_init.go
+++ b/cmd/admin/start/start_from_init.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ Requirements:
 	}
 
 	startFlags(cmd)
+	setup.Flags(cmd)
 
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/zitadel.go b/cmd/zitadel.go
index 627fae25e5..fbf281f1dc 100644
--- a/cmd/zitadel.go
+++ b/cmd/zitadel.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	_ "embed"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -25,8 +26,8 @@ func New(out io.Writer, in io.Reader, args []string) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "zitadel",
 		Short: "The ZITADEL CLI let's you interact with ZITADEL",
 		Long:  `The ZITADEL CLI let's you interact with ZITADEL`,
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			logging.New().Info("hello world")
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return errors.New("no additional command provided")
 		},
 	}