diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bf06c20..aaf75bc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ wget https://github.com/opencultureconsulting/orcli/raw/main/orcli
 chmod +x orcli
 ```
 
-3. Create a symlink in your $PATH (e.g. to ~/.local/bin)
+3. Optional: Create a symlink in your $PATH (e.g. to ~/.local/bin)
 
 ```sh
 ln -s "${PWD}/orcli" ~/.local/bin/
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ ln -s "${PWD}/orcli" ~/.local/bin/
 
 ## Usage
 
-Ensure you have OpenRefine running (i.e. available at http://localhost:3333 or another URL) or use the integrated start command first.
-
 Use integrated help screens for available options and examples for each command.
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/orcli b/orcli
index 89b44e2..f32a6b9 100755
--- a/orcli
+++ b/orcli
@@ -863,22 +863,23 @@ orcli_run_command() {
   OPENREFINE_URL="http://localhost:${args[--port]}"
 
   # locate orcli and OpenRefine
+  scriptpath=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")
   if ! command -v orcli &>/dev/null; then
-      if [[ -x "$0" ]]; then
-          orcli="$0"
+      if [[ -x "${scriptpath}/orcli" ]]; then
+          orcli="${scriptpath}/orcli"
       else
-          error "orcli is not executable!" "Try: chmod + $0"
+          error "orcli is not executable!" "Try: chmod + ${scriptpath}/orcli"
       fi
   fi
-  if [[ -x "refine" ]]; then
-      openrefine="./refine"
+  if [[ -x "${scriptpath}/refine" ]]; then
+      openrefine="${scriptpath}/refine"
   else
       error "OpenRefine's startup script (refine) not found!" "Did you put orcli in your OpenRefine app dir?"
   fi
 
   # create tmp directory
-  tmpdir="$(mktemp -d)"
-  trap '{ rm -rf "$tmpdir"; }' 0 2 3 15
+  OPENREFINE_TMPDIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+  trap '{ rm -rf "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR"; }' 0 2 3 15
 
   # check if OpenRefine is already running
   if curl -fs "${OPENREFINE_URL}" &>/dev/null; then
@@ -886,26 +887,29 @@ orcli_run_command() {
   fi
 
   # start OpenRefine with tmp workspace and autosave period 25 hours
-  REFINE_AUTOSAVE_PERIOD=1440 $openrefine -d "$tmpdir" -m "${args[--memory]}" -p "${args[--port]}" -x refine.headless=true -v warn &>"$tmpdir/openrefine.log" &
-  openrefine_pid="$!"
+  REFINE_AUTOSAVE_PERIOD=1440 $openrefine -d "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR" -m "${args[--memory]}" -p "${args[--port]}" -x refine.headless=true -v warn &>"$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR/openrefine.log" &
+  OPENREFINE_PID="$!"
 
   # update trap to kill OpenRefine on error or exit
-  trap '{ rm -rf "$tmpdir"; kill -9 "$openrefine_pid"; }' 0 2 3 15
+  trap '{ rm -rf "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR"; kill -9 "$OPENREFINE_PID"; }' 0 2 3 15
 
   # wait until OpenRefine is running (timeout 20s)
   if ! curl -fs --retry 20 --retry-connrefused --retry-delay 1 "${OPENREFINE_URL}/command/core/get-version" &>/dev/null; then
       error "starting OpenRefine server failed!"
   else
-      log "started OpenRefine" "port: ${args[--port]}" "memory: ${args[--memory]}" "tmpdir: ${tmpdir}" "pid: ${openrefine_pid}"
+      log "started OpenRefine" "port: ${args[--port]}" "memory: ${args[--memory]}" "tmpdir: ${OPENREFINE_TMPDIR}" "pid: ${OPENREFINE_PID}"
   fi
 
   # execute script(s) in subshell
-  export orcli tmpdir OPENREFINE_URL openrefine_pid
+  export OPENREFINE_TMPDIR OPENREFINE_URL OPENREFINE_PID
   if [[ ${args[file]} == '-' || ${args[file]} == '"-"' ]]; then
       if ! read -u 0 -t 0; then
           # case 1: interactive mode if stdin is selected but not present
           bash --rcfile <(
               cat ~/.bashrc
+              if [[ $orcli ]]; then
+                  echo "alias orcli=$orcli"
+              fi
               interactive
           ) -i </dev/tty
           exit
@@ -915,6 +919,9 @@ orcli_run_command() {
       # case 2: execute scripts and keep shell running
       bash --rcfile <(
           cat ~/.bashrc
+          if [[ $orcli ]]; then
+              echo "alias orcli=$orcli"
+          fi
           for i in "${!files[@]}"; do
               log "execute script ${files[$i]}"
               awk 1 "${files[$i]}"
@@ -923,9 +930,13 @@ orcli_run_command() {
       ) -i </dev/tty
   else
       # case 3: just execute scripts
+      export orcli
       for i in "${!files[@]}"; do
           log "execute script ${files[$i]}"
-          bash -e <(awk 1 "${files[$i]}")
+          bash -e <(
+              echo "if [[ $orcli ]]; then alias orcli=$orcli; fi"
+              awk 1 "${files[$i]}"
+          )
       done
   fi
 
diff --git a/src/run_command.sh b/src/run_command.sh
index 4a23114..dffd794 100644
--- a/src/run_command.sh
+++ b/src/run_command.sh
@@ -18,22 +18,23 @@ fi
 OPENREFINE_URL="http://localhost:${args[--port]}"
 
 # locate orcli and OpenRefine
+scriptpath=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")
 if ! command -v orcli &>/dev/null; then
-    if [[ -x "$0" ]]; then
-        orcli="$0"
+    if [[ -x "${scriptpath}/orcli" ]]; then
+        orcli="${scriptpath}/orcli"
     else
-        error "orcli is not executable!" "Try: chmod + $0"
+        error "orcli is not executable!" "Try: chmod + ${scriptpath}/orcli"
     fi
 fi
-if [[ -x "refine" ]]; then
-    openrefine="./refine"
+if [[ -x "${scriptpath}/refine" ]]; then
+    openrefine="${scriptpath}/refine"
 else
     error "OpenRefine's startup script (refine) not found!" "Did you put orcli in your OpenRefine app dir?"
 fi
 
 # create tmp directory
-tmpdir="$(mktemp -d)"
-trap '{ rm -rf "$tmpdir"; }' 0 2 3 15
+OPENREFINE_TMPDIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap '{ rm -rf "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR"; }' 0 2 3 15
 
 # check if OpenRefine is already running
 if curl -fs "${OPENREFINE_URL}" &>/dev/null; then
@@ -41,26 +42,29 @@ if curl -fs "${OPENREFINE_URL}" &>/dev/null; then
 fi
 
 # start OpenRefine with tmp workspace and autosave period 25 hours
-REFINE_AUTOSAVE_PERIOD=1440 $openrefine -d "$tmpdir" -m "${args[--memory]}" -p "${args[--port]}" -x refine.headless=true -v warn &>"$tmpdir/openrefine.log" &
-openrefine_pid="$!"
+REFINE_AUTOSAVE_PERIOD=1440 $openrefine -d "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR" -m "${args[--memory]}" -p "${args[--port]}" -x refine.headless=true -v warn &>"$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR/openrefine.log" &
+OPENREFINE_PID="$!"
 
 # update trap to kill OpenRefine on error or exit
-trap '{ rm -rf "$tmpdir"; kill -9 "$openrefine_pid"; }' 0 2 3 15
+trap '{ rm -rf "$OPENREFINE_TMPDIR"; kill -9 "$OPENREFINE_PID"; }' 0 2 3 15
 
 # wait until OpenRefine is running (timeout 20s)
 if ! curl -fs --retry 20 --retry-connrefused --retry-delay 1 "${OPENREFINE_URL}/command/core/get-version" &>/dev/null; then
     error "starting OpenRefine server failed!"
 else
-    log "started OpenRefine" "port: ${args[--port]}" "memory: ${args[--memory]}" "tmpdir: ${tmpdir}" "pid: ${openrefine_pid}"
+    log "started OpenRefine" "port: ${args[--port]}" "memory: ${args[--memory]}" "tmpdir: ${OPENREFINE_TMPDIR}" "pid: ${OPENREFINE_PID}"
 fi
 
 # execute script(s) in subshell
-export orcli tmpdir OPENREFINE_URL openrefine_pid
+export OPENREFINE_TMPDIR OPENREFINE_URL OPENREFINE_PID
 if [[ ${args[file]} == '-' || ${args[file]} == '"-"' ]]; then
     if ! read -u 0 -t 0; then
         # case 1: interactive mode if stdin is selected but not present
         bash --rcfile <(
             cat ~/.bashrc
+            if [[ $orcli ]]; then
+                echo "alias orcli=$orcli"
+            fi
             interactive
         ) -i </dev/tty
         exit
@@ -70,6 +74,9 @@ if [[ ${args[--interactive]} ]]; then
     # case 2: execute scripts and keep shell running
     bash --rcfile <(
         cat ~/.bashrc
+        if [[ $orcli ]]; then
+            echo "alias orcli=$orcli"
+        fi
         for i in "${!files[@]}"; do
             log "execute script ${files[$i]}"
             awk 1 "${files[$i]}"