diff --git a/examples/counter-serverless/src/server.ts b/examples/counter-serverless/src/server.ts
index d66d25754..01ff0b439 100644
--- a/examples/counter-serverless/src/server.ts
+++ b/examples/counter-serverless/src/server.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ import { registry } from "./registry";
 
 registry.start({
 	runnerKind: "serverless",
-	runEngine: true,
-	autoConfigureServerless: true,
+	autoConfigureServerless: { url: "http://localhost:8080" },
+	endpoint: "http://localhost:6420",
 });
diff --git a/packages/next-js/src/log.ts b/packages/next-js/src/log.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ced37074
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/next-js/src/log.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { getLogger } from "rivetkit/log";
+
+export function logger() {
+	return getLogger("driver-next-js");
+}
diff --git a/packages/next-js/src/mod.ts b/packages/next-js/src/mod.ts
index a206fadff..781908305 100644
--- a/packages/next-js/src/mod.ts
+++ b/packages/next-js/src/mod.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { Registry, RunConfigInput } from "rivetkit";
+import { logger } from "./log";
 
 export const toNextHandler = (
 	registry: Registry<any>,
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@ export const toNextHandler = (
 
 	// Auto-configure serverless runner if not in prod
 	if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production") {
+		logger().debug(
+			"detected development environment, auto-starting engine and auto-configuring serverless",
+		);
+
 		const publicUrl =
 			process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL ??
 			process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_VERCEL_URL ??
@@ -21,6 +26,10 @@ export const toNextHandler = (
 		inputConfig.autoConfigureServerless = {
 			url: `${publicUrl}/api/rivet/start`,
 		};
+	} else {
+		logger().debug(
+			"detected production environment, will not auto-start engine and auto-configure serverless",
+		);
 	}
 
 	// Next logs this on every request
diff --git a/packages/rivetkit/src/common/router.ts b/packages/rivetkit/src/common/router.ts
index b88c1c8d5..b0184a0ef 100644
--- a/packages/rivetkit/src/common/router.ts
+++ b/packages/rivetkit/src/common/router.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
 	getRequestEncoding,
 	getRequestExposeInternalError,
 } from "@/actor/router-endpoints";
+import { buildActorNames, type RegistryConfig } from "@/registry/config";
 import type { RunnerConfig } from "@/registry/run-config";
 import { getEndpoint } from "@/remote-manager-driver/api-utils";
 import { HttpResponseError } from "@/schemas/client-protocol/mod";
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ export interface MetadataResponse {
 			| { serverless: Record<never, never> }
 			| { normal: Record<never, never> };
 	};
+	actorNames: ReturnType<typeof buildActorNames>;
 	/**
 	 * Endpoint that the client should connect to to access this runner.
 	 *
@@ -105,7 +107,11 @@ export interface MetadataResponse {
 	clientEndpoint?: string;
 }
 
-export function handleMetadataRequest(c: HonoContext, runConfig: RunnerConfig) {
+export function handleMetadataRequest(
+	c: HonoContext,
+	registryConfig: RegistryConfig,
+	runConfig: RunnerConfig,
+) {
 	const response: MetadataResponse = {
 		runtime: "rivetkit",
 		version: VERSION,
@@ -115,6 +121,7 @@ export function handleMetadataRequest(c: HonoContext, runConfig: RunnerConfig) {
 					? { serverless: {} }
 					: { normal: {} },
 		},
+		actorNames: buildActorNames(registryConfig),
 		// Do not return client endpoint if default server disabled
 		clientEndpoint:
 			runConfig.overrideServerAddress ??
diff --git a/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/default.ts b/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/default.ts
index 86a491a6a..8fab1b3d6 100644
--- a/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/default.ts
+++ b/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/default.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ export function chooseDefaultDriver(runConfig: RunnerConfig): DriverConfig {
 		return runConfig.driver;
 	}
 
-	if (runConfig.endpoint || runConfig.token) {
+	if (
+		runConfig.endpoint ||
+		runConfig.token ||
+		runConfig.runnerKind === "serverless"
+	) {
 		loggerWithoutContext().debug({
 			msg: "using rivet engine driver",
 			endpoint: runConfig.endpoint,
diff --git a/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts b/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
index d08e22249..d15350688 100644
--- a/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
+++ b/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import {
 	type ManagerDriver,
 	serializeEmptyPersistData,
 } from "@/driver-helpers/mod";
-import type { RegistryConfig } from "@/registry/config";
+import { buildActorNames, type RegistryConfig } from "@/registry/config";
 import type { RunnerConfig } from "@/registry/run-config";
 import { getEndpoint } from "@/remote-manager-driver/api-utils";
 import {
@@ -103,12 +103,7 @@ export class EngineActorDriver implements ActorDriver {
 			metadata: {
 				inspectorToken: this.#runConfig.inspector.token(),
 			},
-			prepopulateActorNames: Object.fromEntries(
-				Object.keys(this.#registryConfig.use).map((name) => [
-					name,
-					{ metadata: {} },
-				]),
-			),
+			prepopulateActorNames: buildActorNames(registryConfig),
 			onConnected: () => {
 				if (hasDisconnected) {
 					logger().info({
diff --git a/packages/rivetkit/src/manager/router.ts b/packages/rivetkit/src/manager/router.ts
index 4d2e1fed0..e812a90f8 100644
--- a/packages/rivetkit/src/manager/router.ts
+++ b/packages/rivetkit/src/manager/router.ts
@@ -212,7 +212,9 @@ function addServerlessRoutes(
 
 	router.get("/health", (c) => handleHealthRequest(c));
 
-	router.get("/metadata", (c) => handleMetadataRequest(c, runConfig));
+	router.get("/metadata", (c) =>
+		handleMetadataRequest(c, registryConfig, runConfig),
+	);
 }
 
 function addManagerRoutes(
@@ -643,7 +645,9 @@ function addManagerRoutes(
 
 	router.get("/health", (c) => handleHealthRequest(c));
 
-	router.get("/metadata", (c) => handleMetadataRequest(c, runConfig));
+	router.get("/metadata", (c) =>
+		handleMetadataRequest(c, registryConfig, runConfig),
+	);
 
 	managerDriver.modifyManagerRouter?.(
 		registryConfig,
diff --git a/packages/rivetkit/src/registry/config.ts b/packages/rivetkit/src/registry/config.ts
index 9a6428211..d3c023548 100644
--- a/packages/rivetkit/src/registry/config.ts
+++ b/packages/rivetkit/src/registry/config.ts
@@ -30,3 +30,11 @@ export type RegistryConfigInput<A extends RegistryActors> = Omit<
 	z.input<typeof RegistryConfigSchema>,
 	"use"
 > & { use: A };
+
+export function buildActorNames(
+	registryConfig: RegistryConfig,
+): Record<string, { metadata: Record<string, any> }> {
+	return Object.fromEntries(
+		Object.keys(registryConfig.use).map((name) => [name, { metadata: {} }]),
+	);
+}