diff --git a/cooker/cooker.py b/cooker/cooker.py
index 1de9c28..4438174 100644
--- a/cooker/cooker.py
+++ b/cooker/cooker.py
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 
 import argparse
 import json
-import sys
 import os
+import re
+import sys
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 import jsonschema
 import pkg_resources
@@ -296,21 +297,23 @@ def resolve_parents():
 class PokyDistro:
 
     DISTRO_NAME = "poky"
-    BUILD_SCRIPT = "poky/oe-init-build-env"
+    BASE_DIRECTORY = "poky"
+    BUILD_SCRIPT = "oe-init-build-env"
     TEMPLATE_CONF = "meta-poky/conf"
+    DEFAULT_CONF_VERSION = "1"
     LAYER_CONF_NAME = "POKY_BBLAYERS_CONF_VERSION"
     LAYER_CONF_VERSION = "2"
-    LOCAL_CONF_VERSION = "1"
     PACKAGE_FORMAT = "package_rpm"
 
 class AragoDistro:
 
     DISTRO_NAME = "arago"
-    BUILD_SCRIPT = "openembedded-core/oe-init-build-env"
+    BASE_DIRECTORY = "openembedded-core"
+    BUILD_SCRIPT = "oe-init-build-env"
     TEMPLATE_CONF = "meta/conf"
+    DEFAULT_CONF_VERSION = "1"
     LAYER_CONF_NAME = "LCONF_VERSION"
     LAYER_CONF_VERSION = "7"
-    LOCAL_CONF_VERSION = "1"
     PACKAGE_FORMAT = "package_ipk"
 
 
@@ -444,10 +447,23 @@ def update_directory(self, method, local_dir, has_remote, branch, rev):
     def generate(self):
         info('Generating dirs for all build-configurations')
 
+        self.read_local_conf_version()
+
         for build in BuildConfiguration.ALL.values():
             if build.buildable():
                 self.prepare_build_directory(build)
 
+    def read_local_conf_version(self):
+        try:
+            self.local_conf_version = str(self.distro.DEFAULT_CONF_VERSION)
+            file = open(self.config.layer_dir() + self.distro.BASE_DIRECTORY + "/" + self.distro.TEMPLATE_CONF + "/local.conf.sample")
+            for line in file:
+                if line.lstrip().startswith("CONF_VERSION"):
+                    self.local_conf_version = re.search(r'\d+', line).group(0)
+                    return
+        except:
+            return
+
     def prepare_build_directory(self, build):
         debug('Preparing directory:', build.dir())
 
@@ -480,7 +496,7 @@ def prepare_build_directory(self, build):
         CookerCall.os.file_write(file, '\tABORT,${DL_DIR},100M,1K \\')
         CookerCall.os.file_write(file, '\tABORT,${SSTATE_DIR},100M,1K \\')
         CookerCall.os.file_write(file, '\tABORT,/tmp,10M,1K"')
-        CookerCall.os.file_write(file, 'CONF_VERSION = "{}"'.format(self.distro.LOCAL_CONF_VERSION))
+        CookerCall.os.file_write(file, 'CONF_VERSION ?= "{}"'.format(self.local_conf_version))
         CookerCall.os.file_close(file)
 
         file = CookerCall.os.file_open(os.path.join(conf_path, 'bblayers.conf'))
@@ -541,7 +557,7 @@ def show(self, builds, layers, conf, tree, build_arg, sources):
             if build_arg:
                 if build.targets():
                     info('  .',
-                         os.path.relpath(self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT), os.getcwd()),
+                         os.path.relpath(self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BASE_DIRECTORY + "/" + self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT), os.getcwd()),
                          os.path.relpath(build.dir(), os.getcwd()))
                 else:
                     info('build', build.name(), 'has no target')
@@ -608,7 +624,7 @@ def get_buildable_builds(self, builds: List[str]):
     def run_bitbake(self, build_config, bb_task, bb_target):
         directory = build_config.dir()
 
-        init_script = self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT)
+        init_script = self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BASE_DIRECTORY + "/" + self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT)
         if not CookerCall.os.file_exists(init_script):
             fatal_error('init-script', init_script, 'not found')
 
@@ -619,7 +635,7 @@ def run_bitbake(self, build_config, bb_task, bb_target):
 
     def shell(self, build_names: List[str]):
         build_dir = self.get_buildable_builds(build_names)[0].dir()
-        init_script = self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT)
+        init_script = self.config.layer_dir(self.distro.BASE_DIRECTORY + "/" + self.distro.BUILD_SCRIPT)
         shell = os.environ.get('SHELL', '/bin/sh')
 
         debug('running interactive, poky-initialized shell {} {} {}', build_dir, init_script, shell)
diff --git a/test/basic/clean/test b/test/basic/clean/test
index 6961394..722f3dd 100644
--- a/test/basic/clean/test
+++ b/test/basic/clean/test
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ cooker init -f menu.json
 
 # `cooker clean recipe` fails without Poky `oe-init-build-env` script.
 rm -f layers/poky/oe-init-build-env
+rm -f layers/poky/meta-poky
 
 expect_fail cooker clean recipe
 
@@ -50,6 +51,12 @@ EOF
 chmod +x bitbake
 PATH=.:$PATH
 
+# Add `local.conf.sample` file
+mkdir -p layers/poky/meta-poky/conf
+cat > layers/poky/meta-poky/conf/local.conf.sample <<- EOF
+  CONF_VERSION = "1"
+EOF
+
 # `cooker clean recipe` succeeds when bitbake succeeds.
 export bitbake_result=0
 cooker clean recipe
@@ -79,7 +86,7 @@ cooker generate
 
 cooker clean recipe
 
-# `cooker clean recipe buid-config` fails when build-config doesn't exist.
+# `cooker clean recipe build-config` fails when build-config doesn't exist.
 cat > menu.json <<-EOF
 	{
 	    "sources": [],
diff --git a/test/basic/dry-run/output.ref b/test/basic/dry-run/output.ref
index 12bd796..3284d84 100644
--- a/test/basic/dry-run/output.ref
+++ b/test/basic/dry-run/output.ref
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ cat > /builds/build-pi2-base/conf/local.conf <<-EOF
 		ABORT,\${DL_DIR},100M,1K \
 		ABORT,\${SSTATE_DIR},100M,1K \
 		ABORT,/tmp,10M,1K"
-	CONF_VERSION = "1"
+	CONF_VERSION ?= "1"
 EOF
 cat > /builds/build-pi2-base/conf/bblayers.conf <<-EOF
 	# DO NOT EDIT! - This file is automatically created by cooker.
diff --git a/test/basic/dry-run/test b/test/basic/dry-run/test
index e3730cc..5b2f59b 100644
--- a/test/basic/dry-run/test
+++ b/test/basic/dry-run/test
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ expect_fail cooker --dry-run 2> error.txt
 linesInFile error.txt 2
 rm -f error.txt
 
-
 # Mock `bitbake`
 cat > bitbake <<-EOF
         #! /bin/sh
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ EOF
 chmod +x bitbake
 
 # Mock `git`
-
 cat > git <<-EOF
 	#! /bin/sh
 	exit 0
diff --git a/test/basic/generate/test b/test/basic/generate/test
index 912c88d..2e32533 100644
--- a/test/basic/generate/test
+++ b/test/basic/generate/test
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-# fail is no init done
-! cooker generate
+# fail if no init done
+expect_fail cooker generate
 
 
 # empty menu, nothing is generated
-cooker init $S/empty-menu.json
+cooker init -f $S/empty-menu.json
 cooker generate
 
 filesExist . builds 0
@@ -22,13 +22,25 @@ dirsExist builds build-first 1
 # bblayers as expected
 diff builds/build-first/conf/bblayers.conf $S/one-target-first-bblayers.conf
 
+# local.conf as expected
 textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'COOKER_LAYER_DIR = "\${TOPDIR}/../../layers"' 1
 textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'DL_DIR = "\${TOPDIR}/../../downloads"' 1
 textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'SSTATE_DIR = "\${TOPDIR}/../../sstate-cache"' 1
 
+# Default value for CONF_VERSION is 1
+textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'CONF_VERSION \?= "1"' 1
+# regenerate with CONF_VERSION = 2
+mkdir -p layers/poky/meta-poky/conf
+cat > layers/poky/meta-poky/conf/local.conf.sample <<- EOF
+  CONF_VERSION = "2"
+EOF
+cooker generate
+textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'CONF_VERSION \?= "2"' 1
+
 # regenerate after layers-dir-change
 cooker init -f -l layers_dir $S/menu.json
 cooker generate
+
 textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'COOKER_LAYER_DIR = "\${TOPDIR}/../../layers"' 0
 textInFile builds/build-first/conf/local.conf 'COOKER_LAYER_DIR = "\${TOPDIR}/../../layers_dir"' 1