diff --git a/src/emulator/apphosting/serve.ts b/src/emulator/apphosting/serve.ts
index f894cb99fe9..de8eedb102f 100644
--- a/src/emulator/apphosting/serve.ts
+++ b/src/emulator/apphosting/serve.ts
@@ -5,14 +5,13 @@
 
 import { isIPv4 } from "net";
 import { checkListenable } from "../portUtils";
-import { PackageManager, discoverPackageManager } from "./utils";
+import { detectStartCommand } from "./utils";
 import { DEFAULT_HOST, DEFAULT_PORTS } from "../constants";
-import { spawnWithCommandString, wrapSpawn } from "../../init/spawn";
+import { spawnWithCommandString } from "../../init/spawn";
 import { logger } from "./utils";
 import { Emulators } from "../types";
 import { getLocalAppHostingConfiguration } from "./config";
 import { resolveProjectPath } from "../../projectPath";
-import { FirebaseError } from "../../error";
 
 interface StartOptions {
   startCommand?: string;
@@ -69,21 +68,9 @@ async function serve(
     return;
   }
 
-  let packageManager: PackageManager = "npm";
-  try {
-    packageManager = await discoverPackageManager(backendRoot);
-  } catch (e) {
-    throw new FirebaseError(
-      "Failed to detect your project's package manager, consider manually setting the start command with the `startCommandOverride` config. ",
-    );
-  }
-
-  logger.logLabeled(
-    "BULLET",
-    Emulators.APPHOSTING,
-    `starting app with: '${packageManager} run dev'`,
-  );
-  await wrapSpawn(packageManager, ["run", "dev"], backendRoot, environmentVariablesToInject);
+  const detectedStartCommand = await detectStartCommand(backendRoot);
+  logger.logLabeled("BULLET", Emulators.APPHOSTING, `starting app with: '${detectStartCommand}`);
+  await spawnWithCommandString(detectedStartCommand, backendRoot, environmentVariablesToInject);
 }
 
 function availablePort(host: string, port: number): Promise<boolean> {
diff --git a/src/emulator/apphosting/utils.ts b/src/emulator/apphosting/utils.ts
index ab8b087c6ba..cf0c22feae0 100644
--- a/src/emulator/apphosting/utils.ts
+++ b/src/emulator/apphosting/utils.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export type PackageManager = "npm" | "yarn" | "pnpm";
  * @param rootdir project's root directory
  * @returns PackageManager
  */
-export async function discoverPackageManager(rootdir: string): Promise<PackageManager> {
+async function detectPackageManager(rootdir: string): Promise<PackageManager> {
   if (await pathExists(join(rootdir, "pnpm-lock.yaml"))) {
     return "pnpm";
   }
@@ -31,3 +31,16 @@ export async function discoverPackageManager(rootdir: string): Promise<PackageMa
 
   throw new FirebaseError("Unsupported package manager");
 }
+
+export async function detectStartCommand(rootDir: string) {
+  let packageManager: PackageManager = "npm";
+  try {
+    packageManager = await detectPackageManager(rootDir);
+  } catch (e) {
+    throw new FirebaseError(
+      "Failed to detect your project's package manager, consider manually setting the start command with the `startCommandOverride` config. ",
+    );
+  }
+
+  return `${packageManager} run dev`;
+}
diff --git a/src/emulator/initEmulators.ts b/src/emulator/initEmulators.ts
index 9756ed0cc58..6f9c2a7f407 100644
--- a/src/emulator/initEmulators.ts
+++ b/src/emulator/initEmulators.ts
@@ -1,69 +1,51 @@
 // specific initialization steps for an emulator
 
 import { promptOnce } from "../prompt";
+import { detectStartCommand } from "./apphosting/utils";
 import { EmulatorLogger } from "./emulatorLogger";
 import { Emulators } from "./types";
 
-export const AdditionalInitFns: {
-  [e in Emulators]: () => Promise<Record<string, string> | null>;
-} = {
-  apphosting: async () => {
-    // Auto-detect package manager and set startCommandOverride
+type InitFn = () => Promise<Record<string, string> | null>;
+type AdditionalInitFnsType = Partial<Record<Emulators, InitFn>>;
+
+export const AdditionalInitFns: AdditionalInitFnsType = {
+  [Emulators.APPHOSTING]: async () => {
+    const additionalConfigs = new Map<string, string>();
     const logger = EmulatorLogger.forEmulator(Emulators.APPHOSTING);
     logger.log("BULLET", "Initializing App Hosting Emulator");
 
+    // get root directory
     const rootDirectory = await promptOnce({
       name: "rootDir",
       type: "input",
       default: "./",
       message: "Specify your app's root directory relative to your repository",
     });
+    additionalConfigs.set("rootDirectory", rootDirectory);
+
+    // Auto-detect package manager and set startCommandOverride
+    // TODO: don't use cwd, instead try to find project root
+    const backendRoot = process.cwd();
+    try {
+      const startCommand = await detectStartCommand(backendRoot);
+      additionalConfigs.set("startCommandOverride", startCommand);
+    } catch (e) {
+      logger.log(
+        "WARN",
+        "failed to auto-detect your project's start command, consider manually setting the start command by setting the startCommandOverride config",
+      );
+    }
 
-    return {
-      rootDirectory,
-    };
     // prompt for apphosting yaml to export
-  },
-  auth: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  hub: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  functions: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  firestore: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  database: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  hosting: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  pubsub: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  ui: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  logging: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  storage: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  extensions: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  eventarc: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  dataconnect: async () => {
-    return null;
-  },
-  tasks: async () => {
-    return null;
+
+    return mapToObject(additionalConfigs);
   },
 };
+
+function mapToObject(map: Map<string, string>): Record<string, string> {
+  let newObject: Record<string, string> = {};
+  for (let [key, value] of map) {
+    newObject[key] = value;
+  }
+  return newObject;
+}
diff --git a/src/init/features/emulators.ts b/src/init/features/emulators.ts
index 278493d9fee..2ac7a8ad628 100644
--- a/src/init/features/emulators.ts
+++ b/src/init/features/emulators.ts
@@ -56,12 +56,15 @@ export async function doSetup(setup: Setup, config: any) {
     }
 
     //TODO: Can add some logic here where each emulator can run their own inits
-    const additionalOptions = await AdditionalInitFns[selected]();
-    if (additionalOptions) {
-      setup.config.emulators[selected] = {
-        ...setup.config.emulators[selected],
-        ...additionalOptions,
-      };
+    const additionalInitFn = AdditionalInitFns[selected];
+    if (additionalInitFn) {
+      const additionalOptions = await additionalInitFn();
+      if (additionalOptions) {
+        setup.config.emulators[selected] = {
+          ...setup.config.emulators[selected],
+          ...additionalOptions,
+        };
+      }
     }
   }