diff --git a/docs/contributing.md b/docs/contributing.md
index d8729a33..34ac895d 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.md
+++ b/docs/contributing.md
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ The documentation uses the binaries provided by the packages, but for the develo
     npx clusteriohost -> node packages/host
     npx clusterioctl -> node packages/ctl
 
+By default node does not enable source maps, to get stack traces pointing to the `.ts` files you will need to pass `--enable-source-maps` to `node` or set the environment variable `NODE_OPTIONS=--enable-source-maps`.
+
 Note that to use `clusterioctl` you will have to create a control config first:
 
     node packages/controller bootstrap create-ctl-config [admin-user]
diff --git a/packages/create/create.js b/packages/create/create.js
index cacb19ef..4c252f93 100755
--- a/packages/create/create.js
+++ b/packages/create/create.js
@@ -375,17 +375,26 @@ async function writeScripts(mode) {
 		if (process.platform === "win32") {
 			await safeOutputFile(
 				"run-controller.cmd",
-				"@echo off\n.\\node_modules\\.bin\\clusteriocontroller.cmd run\n"
+				`\
+@echo off.
+set "NODE_OPTIONS=--enable-source-maps %NODE_OPTIONS%"
+\\node_modules\\.bin\\clusteriocontroller.cmd run
+`
 			);
 		} else {
 			await safeOutputFile(
 				"run-controller.sh",
-				"#!/bin/sh\nexec ./node_modules/.bin/clusteriocontroller run\n",
+				`\
+#!/bin/sh
+export "NODE_OPTIONS=--enable-source-maps $NODE_OPTIONS"
+exec ./node_modules/.bin/clusteriocontroller run
+`,
 				{ mode: 0o755 },
 			);
 			await safeOutputFile(
 				"systemd/clusteriocontroller.service",
-				`[Unit]
+				`\
+[Unit]
 Description=Clusterio Controller
 
 [Service]
@@ -394,6 +403,7 @@ Group=${await groupIdToName(os.userInfo().gid)}
 WorkingDirectory=${process.cwd()}
 KillMode=mixed
 KillSignal=SIGINT
+Environment=NODE_OPTIONS=--enable-source-maps
 ExecStart=${process.cwd()}/node_modules/.bin/clusteriocontroller run --log-level=warn
 
 [Install]