diff --git a/kiwi_scp/commands/cli.py b/kiwi_scp/commands/cli.py
index 6f519ae..84ebbd1 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/commands/cli.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/commands/cli.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from typing import List, Tuple, Iterable, Any, Type
 
 import click
 
-from ..instance import Instance
+from ..instance import Instance, Project, Services
 
 
 class KiwiCLI(click.MultiCommand):
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ class KiwiCommand:
         click.secho(header, fg="green", bold=True)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def print_error(header: str):
-        click.secho(header, file=sys.stderr, fg="red", bold=True)
+    def print_error(error: str):
+        click.secho(error, file=sys.stderr, fg="red", bold=True)
 
     @staticmethod
     def print_list(content: Iterable[str]):
@@ -77,24 +77,22 @@ class KiwiCommand:
 
     @classmethod
     def run_for_instance(cls, instance: Instance, **kwargs) -> None:
-        for project in instance.config.projects:
-            cls.run_for_project(instance, project.name, **kwargs)
+        for project_config in instance.config.projects:
+            project = instance.get_project(project_config.name)
+            cls.run_for_existing_project(instance, project, **kwargs)
 
     @classmethod
-    def run_for_project(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, **kwargs) -> None:
-        project = instance.get_project(project_name)
-
-        if project is None:
-            click.secho(f"No project '{project_name}' in kiwi-scp instance at '{instance.directory}'.", fg="red", bold=True)
-            return
-
-        service_names = [service.name for service in project.get_services().content]
-
-        cls.run_for_services(instance, project_name, service_names, **kwargs)
+    def run_for_new_project(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, **kwargs) -> None:
+        raise Exception
 
     @classmethod
-    def run_for_services(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, service_names: List[str], **kwargs) -> None:
-        pass
+    def run_for_existing_project(cls, instance: Instance, project: Project, **kwargs) -> None:
+        service_names = [service.name for service in project.services.content]
+        cls.run_for_services(instance, project, service_names, **kwargs)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def run_for_services(cls, instance: Instance, project: Project, service_names: List[str], **kwargs) -> None:
+        raise Exception
 
 
 class KiwiCommandType(Enum):
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/commands/cmd_list.py b/kiwi_scp/commands/cmd_list.py
index af9211b..ac6b420 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/commands/cmd_list.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/commands/cmd_list.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import click
 
 from .cli import KiwiCommandType, KiwiCommand
 from .decorators import kiwi_command
-from ..instance import Instance
+from ..instance import Instance, Project
 
 
 @click.option(
@@ -34,37 +34,29 @@ class CMD(KiwiCommand):
             )
 
     @classmethod
-    def run_for_project(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, show: bool = None, **kwargs) -> None:
-        project = instance.get_project(project_name)
-
-        if project is None:
-            KiwiCommand.print_error(f"No project '{project_name}' in kiwi-scp instance at '{instance.directory}'.")
-            return
-
-        services = project.get_services()
+    def run_for_existing_project(cls, instance: Instance, project: Project, show: bool = None, **kwargs) -> None:
         if show:
-            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Showing config for all services in project '{project_name}'.")
-            click.echo_via_pager(str(services))
+            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Showing config for all services in project '{project.name}'.")
+            click.echo_via_pager(str(project.services))
 
         else:
-            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Services in project '{project_name}':")
-            KiwiCommand.print_list(service.name for service in services.content)
+            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Services in project '{project.name}':")
+            KiwiCommand.print_list(service.name for service in project.services.content)
 
     @classmethod
-    def run_for_services(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, service_names: List[str], show: bool = None,
+    def run_for_new_project(cls, instance: Instance, project_name: str, **kwargs) -> None:
+        KiwiCommand.print_error(f"Project '{project_name}' not in kiwi-scp instance at '{instance.directory}'!")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def run_for_services(cls, instance: Instance, project: Project, service_names: List[str], show: bool = None,
                          **kwargs) -> None:
-        project = instance.get_project(project_name)
-
-        if project is None:
-            KiwiCommand.print_error(f"No project '{project_name}' in kiwi-scp instance at '{instance.directory}'.")
-            return
-
-        services = project.get_services(service_names)
+        services = project.services.filter_existing(service_names)
         if show:
+            service_names = [service.name for service in services.content]
             KiwiCommand.print_header(
-                f"Showing config for services '{', '.join(service_names)}' in project '{project_name}'.")
+                f"Showing config for matching services '{', '.join(service_names)}' in project '{project.name}'.")
             click.echo_via_pager(str(services))
 
         else:
-            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Matching services in project '{project_name}':")
+            KiwiCommand.print_header(f"Matching services in project '{project.name}':")
             KiwiCommand.print_list(service.name for service in services.content)
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/commands/decorators.py b/kiwi_scp/commands/decorators.py
index 3ccaed6..c432779 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/commands/decorators.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/commands/decorators.py
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ _pass_instance = click.make_pass_decorator(
 )
 
 _project_arg = click.argument(
-    "project",
+    "project_name",
+    metavar="[PROJECT]",
     required=False,
     type=str,
 )
 
 _services_arg = click.argument(
-    "services",
+    "service_names",
     metavar="[SERVICE]...",
     nargs=-1,
     type=str,
@@ -40,24 +41,35 @@ def kiwi_command(
             **decorator_kwargs,
         )
         @_pass_instance
-        def cmd(ctx: Instance, project: Optional[str] = None, services: Optional[Tuple[str]] = None,
+        def cmd(ctx: Instance, project_name: Optional[str] = None, service_names: Optional[Tuple[str]] = None,
                 **kwargs) -> None:
 
-            _logger.debug(f"{ctx.directory!r}: {project!r}, {services!r}")
-            if project is None:
+            _logger.debug(f"{ctx.directory!r}: {project_name!r}, {service_names!r}")
+            if project_name is None:
                 # run for whole instance
                 _logger.debug(f"running for instance, kwargs={kwargs}")
                 command_cls.run_for_instance(ctx, **kwargs)
 
-            elif not services:
+            elif not service_names:
                 # run for one entire project
-                _logger.debug(f"running for project {project}, kwargs={kwargs}")
-                command_cls.run_for_project(ctx, project, **kwargs)
+                project = ctx.get_project(project_name)
+                if project is not None:
+                    _logger.debug(f"running for existing project {project}, kwargs={kwargs}")
+                    command_cls.run_for_existing_project(ctx, project, **kwargs)
+
+                else:
+                    _logger.debug(f"running for new project {project_name}, kwargs={kwargs}")
+                    command_cls.run_for_new_project(ctx, project_name, **kwargs)
 
             else:
                 # run for some services
-                _logger.debug(f"running for services {services} in project {project}, kwargs={kwargs}")
-                command_cls.run_for_services(ctx, project, list(services), **kwargs)
+                project = ctx.get_project(project_name)
+                if project is not None:
+                    _logger.debug(f"running for services {service_names} in project {project}, kwargs={kwargs}")
+                    command_cls.run_for_services(ctx, project, list(service_names), **kwargs)
+
+                else:
+                    KiwiCommand.print_error(f"Project '{project_name}' not in kiwi-scp instance at '{ctx.directory}'!")
 
         if command_type is KiwiCommandType.PROJECT:
             cmd = _project_arg(cmd)
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/instance.py b/kiwi_scp/instance.py
index 5927f80..a3b2189 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/instance.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/instance.py
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ class Services:
             }
         }).strip()
 
+    def __bool__(self) -> bool:
+        return bool(self.content)
+
+    def filter_existing(self, service_names: List[str]):
+        return Services([
+            service
+            for service in self.content
+            if service.name in service_names
+        ])
+
 
 @attr.s
 class Project:
@@ -54,21 +64,18 @@ class Project:
         with open(directory.joinpath(COMPOSE_FILE_NAME), "r") as cf:
             return YAML().load(cf)
 
-    def get_services(self, service_names: Optional[List[str]] = None) -> Services:
+    @property
+    def name(self) -> str:
+        return self.directory.name
+
+    @property
+    def services(self) -> Services:
         yml = Project._parse_compose_file(self.directory)
-        services = [
+
+        return Services([
             Service(name, description)
             for name, description in yml["services"].items()
-        ]
-
-        if not service_names:
-            return Services(services)
-        else:
-            return Services([
-                service
-                for service in services
-                if service.name in service_names
-            ])
+        ])
 
 
 @attr.s