diff --git a/configs/standalone.js b/configs/standalone.js
index 290e0892..2643e04b 100644
--- a/configs/standalone.js
+++ b/configs/standalone.js
@@ -100,12 +100,12 @@ module.exports = function(config, optimist) {
         console.log("and suppress this message.\n");
         host = config.host = "127.0.0.1";
     }
-    if (/:/.test(argv.auth) && !isLocalhost && !process.env.C9_HOSTNAME) {
+    var auth = (argv.auth + "").split(":");
+    if (!auth[1] && !isLocalhost && !process.env.C9_HOSTNAME) {
         console.log("Warning: running Cloud9 without using HTTP authentication.");
         console.log("Run using --listen localhost instead to only expose Cloud9 to localhost,");
         console.log("or use -a username:password to setup HTTP authentication\n");
     }
-    var auth = (argv.auth + "").split(":");
 
     var plugins = [
         {
diff --git a/settings/standalone.js b/settings/standalone.js
index b445b4ba..16522978 100644
--- a/settings/standalone.js
+++ b/settings/standalone.js
@@ -155,4 +155,6 @@ function readWin32Settings() {
         if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(process.env.HOME, ".c9", "msys/bin/bash.exe")))
             console.error(e);
     }
+    
+    process.env.CHERE_INVOKING = 1; // prevent cygwin from changing bash path
 }