diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc1b6fd..1d4c391 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Exporter scripts for Confluent Schema Registry.
 
 A tool to export all schemas from a Confluent Cloud Schema Registry to another.
-This app supports three modes: `batchExport`, `sync`, and `getLocalCopy`
+This app supports three modes: `batchExport`, `sync`, and `getLocalCopy`.
 
 - `batchExport` will do a one time migration between schema registries, then it will reset the destination registry to `READWRTIE` mode.
 - `sync` will continuously sync newly registered schemas into the destination registry.
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ docker run \
 
 A sample docker-compose is also provided at the root of this directory.
 
-The docker image is built to handle the case of `-sync` continuous sync. For a one time export, it is recommended
+The docker image handles `-sync` continuous sync. For a one time export, it is recommended
 to use a release binary.
 
 For Docker, the `latest` tag will build directly from master. The master branch of this project is kept non-breaking;
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ However, for stable images tag a release.
 - `./ccloud-schema-exporter -sync` : Running the app with this flag will start a continuous sync 
 between source and destination schema registries.
 - `./ccloud-schema-exporter -getLocalCopy` : Running the app with this flag will get a snapshot of your Schema Registry
-into local files with naming structure subjectName-version-id.json per schema. The default directory is 
-currentPath/SchemaRegistryBackup/.
+into local files with naming structure subjectName-version-id per schema. The default directory is 
+{currentPath}/SchemaRegistryBackup/.
 
-When both flags are applied, `sync` mode prevails.
+When multiple flags are applied, prevalence is `sync` -> `batchExport` -> `getLocalCopy`
 
 ### Options
 
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ Usage of ./ccloud-schema-exporter:
   -dest-sr-url string
     	Url to the Destination Schema Registry Cluster
   -getLocalCopy
-    	Perform a local back-up of all schemas in the source registry. Defaults to a folder (SchemaRegistryBackup) in the current path, but can be overridden by passing in a desired path with -getLocalCopyPath.
+    	Perform a local back-up of all schemas in the source registry. Defaults to a folder (SchemaRegistryBackup) in the current path.
   -getLocalCopyPath string
-    	Optional custom path for local copy. This must be an absolute path.
+    	Optional custom path for local copy. This must be an existing directory.
   -scrapeInterval int
     	Amount of time ccloud-schema-exporter will delay between schema sync checks in seconds (default 60)
   -src-sr-key string
diff --git a/cmd/ccloud-schema-exporter/ccloud-schema-exporter.go b/cmd/ccloud-schema-exporter/ccloud-schema-exporter.go
index 4e2193d..14a27b9 100644
--- a/cmd/ccloud-schema-exporter/ccloud-schema-exporter.go
+++ b/cmd/ccloud-schema-exporter/ccloud-schema-exporter.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	if client.LocalCopy {
+	if client.RunMode == "LOCAL" {
 		client.WriteToFS(srcClient, client.PathToWrite)
 
 		log.Println("-----------------------------------------------")
diff --git a/cmd/internals/context.go b/cmd/internals/context.go
index 00e0350..eb2293b 100644
--- a/cmd/internals/context.go
+++ b/cmd/internals/context.go
@@ -22,14 +22,13 @@ func GetFlags() {
 	flag.StringVar(&DestSRSecret, "dest-sr-secret", "", "API SECRET for the Destination Schema Registry Cluster")
 	flag.IntVar(&httpCallTimeout, "timeout", 60, "Timeout, in seconds, to use for all REST calls with the Schema Registries")
 	flag.IntVar(&ScrapeInterval, "scrapeInterval", 60, "Amount of time ccloud-schema-exporter will delay between schema sync checks in seconds")
-	flag.BoolVar(&LocalCopy, "getLocalCopy", false,
-		"Perform a local back-up of all schemas in the source registry. Defaults to a folder (SchemaRegistryBackup) in the current path, but can be overridden by passing in a desired path with -getLocalCopyPath.")
 	flag.StringVar(&PathToWrite, "getLocalCopyPath", "",
-		"Optional custom path for local copy. This must be an absolute path with existing directory structure.")
+		"Optional custom path for local copy. This must be an existing directory structure.")
 	versionFlag := flag.Bool("version", false, "Print the current version and exit")
 	usageFlag := flag.Bool("usage", false, "Print the usage of this tool")
 	batchExportFlag := flag.Bool("batchExport", false, "Perform a one-time export of all schemas")
 	syncFlag := flag.Bool("sync", false, "Sync schemas continuously")
+	localCopyFlag := flag.Bool("getLocalCopy", false, "Perform a local back-up of all schemas in the source registry. Defaults to a folder (SchemaRegistryBackup) in the current path")
 	deleteFlag := flag.Bool("deleteAllFromDestination", false, "Setting this will run a delete on all schemas written to the destination registry")
 	syncDeletesFlag := flag.Bool("syncDeletes", false, "Setting this will sync soft deletes from the source cluster to the destination")
 
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ func GetFlags() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	if !*syncFlag && !*batchExportFlag && !LocalCopy {
+	if !*syncFlag && !*batchExportFlag && !*localCopyFlag {
 		fmt.Println("You must specify a mode to run on.")
 		fmt.Println("Usage:")
 		fmt.Println("")
@@ -63,6 +62,10 @@ func GetFlags() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	if *localCopyFlag {
+		RunMode = "LOCAL"
+	}
+
 	if *batchExportFlag {
 		RunMode = "BATCH"
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/internals/meta.go b/cmd/internals/meta.go
index 6bf49df..ecf2bb0 100644
--- a/cmd/internals/meta.go
+++ b/cmd/internals/meta.go
@@ -23,4 +23,3 @@ var DestSRSecret string
 var RunMode string
 var syncDeletes bool
 var PathToWrite string
-var LocalCopy bool
diff --git a/cmd/internals/writeToLocalFS.go b/cmd/internals/writeToLocalFS.go
index 136ce95..8e00ef8 100644
--- a/cmd/internals/writeToLocalFS.go
+++ b/cmd/internals/writeToLocalFS.go
@@ -10,10 +10,24 @@ import (
 
 func WriteToFS (srcClient *SchemaRegistryClient, definedPath string) {
 
-	abspath, _ := os.Executable()
+	currentPath, _ := os.Executable()
+
 	if definedPath == "" {
+		log.Println("Path not defined, writing to new local folder SchemaRegistryBackup")
 		_ = os.Mkdir("SchemaRegistryBackup", 0755)
-		definedPath = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s",filepath.Dir(abspath),"/SchemaRegistryBackup")
+		definedPath = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(currentPath), "SchemaRegistryBackup")
+	} else {
+		if filepath.IsAbs(definedPath){
+			if _, err := os.Stat(definedPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				log.Fatalln("The directory specified does not exist.")
+			}
+		} else {
+			definedPath = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(currentPath),definedPath)
+			_, err := os.Stat(definedPath)
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				log.Fatalln("The directory specified does not exist.")
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	srcChan := make(chan map[string][]int)
@@ -35,10 +49,12 @@ func writeSchema (srcClient *SchemaRegistryClient, pathToWrite string, subject s
 	rawSchema := srcClient.GetSchema(subject,int64(version))
 
 
-	log.Printf("Writing schema: %s with version: %d and ID: %d and Type: %s",
-		rawSchema.Subject, rawSchema.Version, rawSchema.Id, rawSchema.SType)
+	log.Printf("Writing schema: %s with version: %d and ID: %d",
+		rawSchema.Subject, rawSchema.Version, rawSchema.Id)
+
+	filename := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d-%d",rawSchema.Subject, rawSchema.Version, rawSchema.Id)
+	f , err := os.Create(filepath.Join(pathToWrite,filename))
 
-	f , err := os.Create(fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s-%d-%d.json",pathToWrite,rawSchema.Subject,rawSchema.Version,rawSchema.Id))
 	check(err)
 	defer f.Close()