diff --git a/app-conf/compile.conf b/compile.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from app-conf/compile.conf
rename to compile.conf
diff --git a/compile.sh b/compile.sh
index 0d8451239..e6ef84e21 100755
--- a/compile.sh
+++ b/compile.sh
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ cd ${project_root}
 
 start_script=${project_root}/scripts/start.sh
 stop_script=${project_root}/scripts/stop.sh
+app_conf=${project_root}/app-conf
 
 # Echo the value of pwd in the script so that it is clear what is being removed.
 rm -rf ${project_root}/dist
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ cp $start_script ${DIST_NAME}/bin/
 
 cp $stop_script ${DIST_NAME}/bin/
 
+cp -r $app_conf ${DIST_NAME}
+
 zip -r ${DIST_NAME}.zip ${DIST_NAME}
 
 mv ${DIST_NAME}.zip ${project_root}/dist/
diff --git a/app-conf/resolver.conf.template b/resolver.conf.template
similarity index 100%
rename from app-conf/resolver.conf.template
rename to resolver.conf.template
diff --git a/scripts/start.sh b/scripts/start.sh
index 4dc016f30..b22fa6dde 100755
--- a/scripts/start.sh
+++ b/scripts/start.sh
@@ -37,10 +37,14 @@ project_root=$script_dir/../
 # User could set an environmental variable, ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR, or pass an optional argument(config file path)
 if [ -z "$1" ]; then
   if [ -z "$ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR" ]; then
-      echo "error: Couldn't find the configuration directory."
-      echo "Please set env variable ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR to the configuration directory or pass the location as an argument."
-      print_usage
-      exit 1
+      if [ -d "${project_root}/app-conf" ]; then
+          ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR=$project_root/app-conf
+      else
+         echo "error: Couldn't find the configuration directory."
+         echo "Please set env variable ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR to the configuration directory or pass the location as an argument."
+         print_usage
+         exit 1
+      fi
   fi
   CONF_DIR="$ELEPHANT_CONF_DIR"
 else