diff --git a/autonomy/cli/deploy.py b/autonomy/cli/deploy.py
index 70460f0b0e..b24846da39 100644
--- a/autonomy/cli/deploy.py
+++ b/autonomy/cli/deploy.py
@@ -226,8 +226,9 @@ def deploy_group(
 @click.option(
     "--mkdir",
     type=str,
-    help="Comma-separated list of directory names to create in the build directory.",
-    default=None,
+    help="Directory names to create in the build directory.",
+    default=[],
+    multiple=True,
 )
 @registry_flag()
 @password_option(confirmation_prompt=True)
@@ -240,6 +241,7 @@ def build_deployment_command(  # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments, too-many-lo
     output_dir: Optional[Path],
     dev_mode: bool,
     registry: str,
+    mkdir: list[str],
     number_of_agents: Optional[int] = None,
     number_of_services: int = 1,
     password: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -256,7 +258,6 @@ def build_deployment_command(  # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments, too-many-lo
     agent_memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
     agent_cpu_request: Optional[float] = None,
     agent_memory_request: Optional[int] = None,
-    mkdir: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Build deployment setup for n agents."""
     if password is not None:  # pragma: nocover
@@ -362,8 +363,8 @@ def run(
     build_dir: Path,
     no_recreate: bool,
     remove_orphans: bool,
-    detach: bool = False,
-    deployment_type: str = "localhost",
+    detach: bool,
+    deployment_type: str,
 ) -> None:
     """Run deployment."""
     build_dir = Path(build_dir or Path.cwd()).absolute()
diff --git a/autonomy/cli/helpers/deployment.py b/autonomy/cli/helpers/deployment.py
index 3ecc6364ae..c013c46c96 100644
--- a/autonomy/cli/helpers/deployment.py
+++ b/autonomy/cli/helpers/deployment.py
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@
 from autonomy.deploy.image import build_image
 
 
-def _build_dirs(build_dir: Path, mkdir: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+def _build_dirs(build_dir: Path, mkdir: list[str] = []) -> None:
     """Build necessary directories."""
 
-    mkdirs = [(new_dir_name,) for new_dir_name in mkdir.split(",")] if mkdir else []
+    mkdirs = [(new_dir_name,) for new_dir_name in mkdir]
 
     for dir_path in [
         (PERSISTENT_DATA_DIR,),
diff --git a/autonomy/deploy/generators/localhost/utils.py b/autonomy/deploy/generators/localhost/utils.py
index 4c6d31fe6e..a0bddc56cc 100644
--- a/autonomy/deploy/generators/localhost/utils.py
+++ b/autonomy/deploy/generators/localhost/utils.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 """Localhost Deployment utilities."""
+import json
 import os
 import platform
 import shutil
@@ -28,7 +29,11 @@
 
 from aea.configurations.constants import DEFAULT_AEA_CONFIG_FILE, VENDOR
 
-from autonomy.deploy.constants import TENDERMINT_BIN_UNIX, TENDERMINT_BIN_WINDOWS
+from autonomy.deploy.constants import (
+    BENCHMARKS_DIR,
+    TENDERMINT_BIN_UNIX,
+    TENDERMINT_BIN_WINDOWS,
+)
 
 
 LOCAL_TENDERMINT_VERSION = "0.34.19"
@@ -86,8 +91,39 @@ def _run_aea_cmd(
             raise RuntimeError(f"Error running: {args} @ {cwd}\n{result_error}")
 
 
+def _prepare_agent_env(working_dir: Path) -> None:
+    """Prepare agent env, add keys, run aea commands."""
+    env = json.loads((working_dir / "agent.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+    # TODO: Dynamic port allocation, backport to service builder
+    env["CONNECTION_ABCI_CONFIG_HOST"] = "localhost"
+    env["CONNECTION_ABCI_CONFIG_PORT"] = "26658"
+
+    for var in env:
+        # Fix tendermint connection params
+        if var.endswith("MODELS_PARAMS_ARGS_TENDERMINT_COM_URL"):
+            env[var] = "http://localhost:8080"
+
+        if var.endswith("MODELS_PARAMS_ARGS_TENDERMINT_URL"):
+            env[var] = "http://localhost:26657"
+
+        if var.endswith("MODELS_PARAMS_ARGS_TENDERMINT_P2P_URL"):
+            env[var] = "localhost:26656"
+
+        if var.endswith("MODELS_BENCHMARK_TOOL_ARGS_LOG_DIR"):
+            benchmarks_dir = working_dir / BENCHMARKS_DIR
+            benchmarks_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
+            env[var] = str(benchmarks_dir.resolve())
+
+    (working_dir / "agent.json").write_text(
+        json.dumps(env, indent=2),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+
 def setup_agent(working_dir: Path, agent_config: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
     """Setup locally deployed agent."""
+    _prepare_agent_env(working_dir)
     shutil.copy(DEFAULT_AEA_CONFIG_FILE, working_dir)
 
     # add dependencies
diff --git a/tests/test_autonomy/test_cli/test_deploy/test_build/test_deployment.py b/tests/test_autonomy/test_cli/test_deploy/test_build/test_deployment.py
index 1b21ca90a1..5a2c71c0fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_autonomy/test_cli/test_deploy/test_build/test_deployment.py
+++ b/tests/test_autonomy/test_cli/test_deploy/test_build/test_deployment.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def load_and_check_localhost_build(self, path: Path) -> None:
                 "CONNECTION_LEDGER_CONFIG_LEDGER_APIS_ETHEREUM_CHAIN_ID": "31337",
                 "CONNECTION_LEDGER_CONFIG_LEDGER_APIS_ETHEREUM_POA_CHAIN": "False",
                 "CONNECTION_LEDGER_CONFIG_LEDGER_APIS_ETHEREUM_DEFAULT_GAS_PRICE_STRATEGY": "eip1559",
-                "CONNECTION_ABCI_CONFIG_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
+                "CONNECTION_ABCI_CONFIG_HOST": "localhost",
                 "CONNECTION_ABCI_CONFIG_PORT": "26658",
             }