diff --git a/play b/play
index 3189416a90..5d9f9efc11 100755
--- a/play
+++ b/play
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ try:
     if remaining_args.count('--force') == 1:
         remaining_args.remove('--force')
         ignoreMissing = True
-    play_app = PlayApplication(application_path, play_env, ignoreMissing)
 
     # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is the command?
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
@@ -88,6 +87,8 @@ try:
         print "~ framework ID is %s" % play_env["id"]
     print "~"
 
+    play_app = PlayApplication(application_path, play_env, ignoreMissing)
+
     # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The commands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~