diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateApp.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateApp.java
index 30d5ec3c66b24..53413ac249af4 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateApp.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateApp.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public Integer call() throws Exception {
 
             createProject.setSingleProjectGAV(gav);
             createProject.setTestOutputDirectory(output.getTestDirectory());
-            if (createProject.checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(output)) {
+            if (createProject.checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(output, runMode.isDryRun())) {
                 return CommandLine.ExitCode.USAGE;
             }
 
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateCli.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateCli.java
index 9f97578ee46d4..29265e35f2ce1 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateCli.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/CreateCli.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public Integer call() throws Exception {
 
             createProject.setSingleProjectGAV(gav);
             createProject.setTestOutputDirectory(output.getTestDirectory());
-            if (createProject.checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(output)) {
+            if (createProject.checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(output, false)) {
                 return CommandLine.ExitCode.USAGE;
             }
 
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/QuarkusCli.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/QuarkusCli.java
index 0b1fbcd53bd8c..0612d7e79096c 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/QuarkusCli.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/QuarkusCli.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.PropertiesOptions;
+import io.quarkus.registry.config.RegistriesConfigLocator;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.QuarkusApplication;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.annotations.QuarkusMain;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
@@ -47,6 +48,12 @@ public class QuarkusCli implements QuarkusApplication, Callable<Integer> {
     @CommandLine.ArgGroup(exclusive = false, validate = false)
     protected PropertiesOptions propertiesOptions = new PropertiesOptions();
 
+    @CommandLine.Option(names = {
+            "--tools-config" }, description = "Quarkus Tools configuration file", hidden = true, scope = CommandLine.ScopeType.INHERIT)
+    void setToolsConfig(String toolsConfig) {
+        System.setProperty(RegistriesConfigLocator.CONFIG_FILE_PATH_PROPERTY, toolsConfig);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int run(String... args) throws Exception {
         CommandLine cmd = factory == null ? new CommandLine(this) : new CommandLine(this, factory);
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/Registry.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/Registry.java
index 12abe2b503b73..210a7debad06f 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/Registry.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/Registry.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import io.quarkus.cli.registry.BaseRegistryCommand;
-import io.quarkus.cli.registry.RegistryListCommand;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 import picocli.CommandLine.ParseResult;
 import picocli.CommandLine.Unmatched;
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryListCommand.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/RegistryListCommand.java
similarity index 80%
rename from devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryListCommand.java
rename to devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/RegistryListCommand.java
index 4e2bb5cbbff6b..e62137e303aa4 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryListCommand.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/RegistryListCommand.java
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-package io.quarkus.cli.registry;
+package io.quarkus.cli;
 
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
-import io.quarkus.cli.common.RegistryClientMixin;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.BaseRegistryCommand;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.RegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.registry.config.RegistriesConfig;
 import io.quarkus.registry.config.RegistriesConfigLocator;
 import io.quarkus.registry.config.RegistryConfig;
@@ -19,14 +20,15 @@ public class RegistryListCommand extends BaseRegistryCommand {
     public Integer call() throws Exception {
 
         registryClient.refreshRegistryCache(output);
-
-        output.info("Available Quarkus extension registries:");
         final RegistriesConfig config = RegistriesConfigLocator.resolveConfig();
+
+        output.info("Configured Quarkus extension registries:");
         for (RegistryConfig r : config.getRegistries()) {
             if (r.isDisabled()) {
-                continue;
+                output.info("- " + r.getId() + " (disabled)");
+            } else {
+                output.info("- " + r.getId());
             }
-            output.info("- " + r.getId());
         }
 
         final Path configYaml = RegistriesConfigLocator.locateConfigYaml();
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BaseBuildCommand.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BaseBuildCommand.java
index bb3dbac721426..f9fe842b3b5d7 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BaseBuildCommand.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BaseBuildCommand.java
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.HelpOption;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.PropertiesOptions;
-import io.quarkus.cli.common.ToggleRegistryClientMixin;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.ToggleRegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.QuarkusProjectHelper;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BuildSystemRunner.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BuildSystemRunner.java
index 76b0081db06f7..dc984f53e0333 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BuildSystemRunner.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/BuildSystemRunner.java
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.ListFormatOptions;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.PropertiesOptions;
-import io.quarkus.cli.common.RegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.RunModeOption;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.RegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/JBangRunner.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/JBangRunner.java
index 592b34838181e..61ff9d5340200 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/JBangRunner.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/build/JBangRunner.java
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.ListFormatOptions;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.PropertiesOptions;
-import io.quarkus.cli.common.RegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.RunModeOption;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.RegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
 
 public class JBangRunner implements BuildSystemRunner {
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/create/CreateProjectMixin.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/create/CreateProjectMixin.java
index cb50b7cfa96e7..47c4c0d64e927 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/create/CreateProjectMixin.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/create/CreateProjectMixin.java
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
 import io.quarkus.cli.common.TargetQuarkusVersionGroup;
-import io.quarkus.cli.common.ToggleRegistryClientMixin;
+import io.quarkus.cli.registry.ToggleRegistryClientMixin;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.commands.CreateProject;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.commands.data.QuarkusCommandInvocation;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
@@ -56,18 +56,24 @@ public Path outputDirectory() {
      * Resolve and remember the configured project directory.
      *
      * @param log Output Mixin that will be used to emit error messages
+     * @param dryRun
      * @return true IFF configured project root directory already exists
      */
-    public boolean checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(OutputOptionMixin log) {
+    public boolean checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(OutputOptionMixin log, boolean dryRun) {
         if (projectRootPath == null) {
             try {
-                projectRootPath = CreateProjectHelper.checkProjectRootPath(outputDirectory(), projectDirName);
+                projectRootPath = CreateProjectHelper.checkProjectRootPath(outputDirectory(), projectDirName, dryRun);
                 return false;
             } catch (IllegalArgumentException iex) {
-                log.error(iex.getMessage());
-                log.out().printf("Use '-a' or '--artifactId' to choose a new artifactId and directory name.%n");
-                log.out().printf("See '%s --help' for more information.%n", mixee.qualifiedName());
-                return true;
+                if (dryRun) {
+                    log.warn("A directory named '" + projectDirName + "' already exists.");
+                    projectRootPath = outputDirectory().resolve(projectDirName);
+                } else {
+                    log.error(iex.getMessage());
+                    log.out().printf("Specify a different artifactId / directory name.%n");
+                    log.out().printf("See '%s --help' for more information.%n", mixee.qualifiedName());
+                    return true;
+                }
             }
         }
         return false;
@@ -75,7 +81,7 @@ public boolean checkProjectRootAlreadyExists(OutputOptionMixin log) {
 
     public Path projectRoot() {
         if (projectRootPath == null) {
-            projectRootPath = CreateProjectHelper.checkProjectRootPath(outputDirectory(), projectDirName);
+            projectRootPath = CreateProjectHelper.checkProjectRootPath(outputDirectory(), projectDirName, false);
         }
         return projectRootPath;
     }
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/RegistryClientMixin.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryClientMixin.java
similarity index 96%
rename from devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/RegistryClientMixin.java
rename to devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryClientMixin.java
index dec647febaa80..13a6252a278bc 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/RegistryClientMixin.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/RegistryClientMixin.java
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-package io.quarkus.cli.common;
+package io.quarkus.cli.registry;
 
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
 import io.quarkus.cli.Version;
+import io.quarkus.cli.common.OutputOptionMixin;
+import io.quarkus.cli.common.TargetQuarkusVersionGroup;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.QuarkusProject;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.QuarkusProjectHelper;
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java
similarity index 91%
rename from devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java
rename to devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java
index 49a8ed9e43901..ec0c82d151fc9 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/common/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/main/java/io/quarkus/cli/registry/ToggleRegistryClientMixin.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package io.quarkus.cli.common;
+package io.quarkus.cli.registry;
 
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliNonProjectTest.java b/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliNonProjectTest.java
index 51e2792d7d198..0e31b60e0faa3 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliNonProjectTest.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliNonProjectTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 package io.quarkus.cli;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
@@ -10,6 +14,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import io.quarkus.registry.config.RegistriesConfigLocator;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
 public class CliNonProjectTest {
@@ -30,6 +35,7 @@ public void verifyEmptyDirectory() throws Exception {
                 "Directory list operation should succeed");
         Assertions.assertEquals(0, files.length,
                 "Directory should be empty. Found: " + Arrays.toString(files));
+        System.clearProperty(RegistriesConfigLocator.CONFIG_FILE_PATH_PROPERTY);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -80,4 +86,44 @@ public void testCreateAppDryRun() throws Exception {
         Assertions.assertEquals(result.stdout, result2.stdout,
                 "Invoking the command with --dryrun should produce the same result");
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testRegistryRefresh() throws Exception {
+
+        // List extensions of a specified platform version
+        CliDriver.Result result = CliDriver.execute(workspaceRoot, "registry", "--refresh", "-e");
+        Assertions.assertEquals(CommandLine.ExitCode.OK, result.exitCode,
+                "Expected OK return code." + result);
+
+        Path configPath = resolveConfigPath("enabledConfig.yml");
+        result = CliDriver.execute(workspaceRoot, "registry", "--refresh", "-e",
+                "--tools-config", configPath.toAbsolutePath().toString());
+        Assertions.assertEquals(CommandLine.ExitCode.OK, result.exitCode,
+                "Expected OK return code." + result);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains(configPath.toString()),
+                "Should contain path to config file, found: " + result.stdout);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains("- registry.test.local"),
+                "Should contain '- registry.test.local', found: " + result.stdout);
+        Assertions.assertFalse(result.stdout.contains("- registry.quarkus.io"),
+                "Should not contain '- registry.quarkus.io', found: " + result.stdout);
+
+        configPath = resolveConfigPath("disabledConfig.yml");
+        result = CliDriver.execute(workspaceRoot, "registry", "--refresh", "-e",
+                "--tools-config", configPath.toAbsolutePath().toString());
+        Assertions.assertEquals(CommandLine.ExitCode.OK, result.exitCode,
+                "Expected OK return code." + result);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains(configPath.toString()),
+                "Should contain path to config file, found: " + result.stdout);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains("- registry.test.local (disabled)"),
+                "Should contain '- registry.test.local (disabled)', found: " + result.stdout);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains("- registry.quarkus.io"),
+                "Should contain '- registry.quarkus.io', found: " + result.stdout);
+    }
+
+    private static Path resolveConfigPath(String configName) throws URISyntaxException {
+        final URL configUrl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader().getResource(configName);
+        assertThat(configUrl).isNotNull();
+        final Path path = Paths.get(configUrl.toURI());
+        return path;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliProjectMavenTest.java b/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliProjectMavenTest.java
index 53067878adb34..dfd103d379aa1 100644
--- a/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliProjectMavenTest.java
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/test/java/io/quarkus/cli/CliProjectMavenTest.java
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ public void testCreateAppOverrides() throws Exception {
                 "result should contain '-Dproperty=value1 -Dproperty2=value2':\n" + result.stdout);
 
         CliDriver.invokeValidateBuild(project);
+
+        result = CliDriver.execute(workspaceRoot, "create", "app", "--dry-run", "--verbose", "-e", "-B",
+                "--output-directory=" + nested,
+                "silly:my-project:0.1.0");
+        Assertions.assertEquals(CommandLine.ExitCode.OK, result.exitCode, "Expected OK return code. " + result);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(result.stdout.contains("WARN"),
+                "Expected a warning that the directory already exists. " + result);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/disabledConfig.yml b/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/disabledConfig.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8e944d4f99137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/disabledConfig.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+registries:
+  - registry.test.local:
+      update-policy: "always"
+      disabled: true
+      maven:
+        repository:
+          url: https://registry.quarkus.io/maven
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/enabledConfig.yml b/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/enabledConfig.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7ab2583008ebe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/cli/src/test/resources/enabledConfig.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+registries:
+  - registry.test.local:
+      update-policy: "always"
+      maven:
+        repository:
+          url: https://registry.quarkus.io/maven
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/codegen/CreateProjectHelper.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/codegen/CreateProjectHelper.java
index bd06533112e30..438bd2732711e 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/codegen/CreateProjectHelper.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/codegen/CreateProjectHelper.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public static String checkPackageName(String name) {
         return name;
     }
 
-    public static Path checkProjectRootPath(Path outputPath, String name) {
+    public static Path checkProjectRootPath(Path outputPath, String name, boolean dryRun) {
         requireNonNull(name, "Must specify project name");
         requireNonNull(outputPath, "Must specify output path");
 
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/registry-client/src/main/java/io/quarkus/registry/config/RegistriesConfigLocator.java b/independent-projects/tools/registry-client/src/main/java/io/quarkus/registry/config/RegistriesConfigLocator.java
index 1f8d7241b2907..1eb199dc8e54b 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/registry-client/src/main/java/io/quarkus/registry/config/RegistriesConfigLocator.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/registry-client/src/main/java/io/quarkus/registry/config/RegistriesConfigLocator.java
@@ -29,20 +29,21 @@
 public class RegistriesConfigLocator {
 
     public static final String CONFIG_RELATIVE_PATH = ".quarkus/config.yaml";
-    public static final String CONFIG_FILE_PATH_PROPERTY = "qer.config";
+    public static final String CONFIG_FILE_PATH_PROPERTY = "quarkus.tools.config";
 
     /**
      * Locate the registry client configuration file and deserialize it.
-     * The method will be looking for the file in the following locations in this order:
+     *
+     * The method will look for the file in the following locations in this order:
      * <ol>
-     * <li>if <code>qer.config</code> system property is set, its value will be used as the location of the configuration
-     * file</li>
+     * <li>if <code>quarkus.config.root</code> system property is set, its value will be
+     * used as the location of the configuration file</li>
      * <li>current user directory (which usually would be the project dir)</li>
      * <li><code>.quarkus/config.yaml</code> in the user home directory
      * </ol>
      *
-     * Given that the presence of the configuration file is optional, if the configuration file couldn't be located,
-     * an empty configuration would be returned to the caller.
+     * If the configuration file can't be located (it is optional),
+     * an empty configuration will be returned to the caller.
      *
      * @return registry client configuration, never null
      */
@@ -122,11 +123,9 @@ private static RegistriesConfig completeRequiredConfig(RegistriesConfig original
             config.addRegistry(getDefaultRegistry());
         } else {
             for (RegistryConfig qerConfig : original.getRegistries()) {
-                if (!qerConfig.isDisabled()) {
-                    config.addRegistry(completeRequiredConfig(qerConfig));
-                }
+                config.addRegistry(completeRequiredConfig(qerConfig));
             }
-            if (config.isEmpty()) {
+            if (config.getRegistries().stream().filter(x -> !x.isDisabled()).count() == 0) {
                 config.addRegistry(getDefaultRegistry());
             }
         }
@@ -140,6 +139,7 @@ private static RegistryConfig completeRequiredConfig(RegistryConfig original) {
         final String id = original.getId();
         final JsonRegistryConfig config = new JsonRegistryConfig(id);
         config.setUpdatePolicy(original.getUpdatePolicy());
+        config.setDisabled(original.isDisabled());
         config.setDescriptor(completeDescriptor(original));
         if (original != null) {
             if (original.getMaven() != null) {