diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 082791dc9..e34ce2296 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           dora-cli up
           dora-cli list
-          dora-cli new test_project
+          dora-cli new test_project --internal-create-with-path-dependencies
           cd test_project
-          cargo build --all --config "patch.'https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git'.dora-node-api.path=\"../apis/rust/node\"" --config "patch.'https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git'.dora-operator-api.path=\"../apis/rust/operator\""
+          cargo build --all
           UUID=$(dora-cli start dataflow.yml)
           sleep 10
           dora-cli stop $UUID
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
index b202ea070..0d3bcb437 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ enum Command {
     New {
         #[clap(flatten)]
         args: CommandNew,
+        #[clap(hide = true, long)]
+        internal_create_with_path_dependencies: bool,
     },
     Up {
         #[clap(long)]
@@ -120,7 +122,10 @@ fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
         Command::Build { dataflow } => {
             build::build(&dataflow)?;
         }
-        Command::New { args } => template::create(args)?,
+        Command::New {
+            args,
+            internal_create_with_path_dependencies,
+        } => template::create(args, internal_create_with_path_dependencies)?,
         Command::Up {
             config,
             coordinator_path,
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/template/mod.rs b/binaries/cli/src/template/mod.rs
index 086616071..4e68cb548 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/template/mod.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/template/mod.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ mod cxx;
 mod python;
 mod rust;
 
-pub fn create(args: crate::CommandNew) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+pub fn create(args: crate::CommandNew, use_path_deps: bool) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     match args.lang {
-        crate::Lang::Rust => rust::create(args),
+        crate::Lang::Rust => rust::create(args, use_path_deps),
         crate::Lang::Python => python::create(args),
         crate::Lang::C => c::create(args),
         crate::Lang::Cxx => cxx::create(args),
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/mod.rs b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/mod.rs
index ac1493193..4b5f5e624 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/mod.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/mod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 const VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
-pub fn create(args: crate::CommandNew) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+pub fn create(args: crate::CommandNew, use_path_deps: bool) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let crate::CommandNew {
         kind,
         lang: _,
@@ -14,13 +14,17 @@ pub fn create(args: crate::CommandNew) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     } = args;
 
     match kind {
-        crate::Kind::Operator => create_operator(name, path),
-        crate::Kind::CustomNode => create_custom_node(name, path),
-        crate::Kind::Dataflow => create_dataflow(name, path),
+        crate::Kind::Operator => create_operator(name, path, use_path_deps),
+        crate::Kind::CustomNode => create_custom_node(name, path, use_path_deps),
+        crate::Kind::Dataflow => create_dataflow(name, path, use_path_deps),
     }
 }
 
-fn create_dataflow(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
+fn create_dataflow(
+    name: String,
+    path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    use_path_deps: bool,
+) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
     const DATAFLOW_YML: &str = include_str!("dataflow-template.yml");
     const WORKSPACE_CARGO_TOML: &str = include_str!("Cargo-template.toml");
 
@@ -45,9 +49,9 @@ fn create_dataflow(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrR
     fs::write(&cargo_toml_path, &cargo_toml)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to write `{}`", cargo_toml_path.display()))?;
 
-    create_operator("op_1".into(), Some(root.join("op_1")))?;
-    create_operator("op_2".into(), Some(root.join("op_2")))?;
-    create_custom_node("node_1".into(), Some(root.join("node_1")))?;
+    create_operator("op_1".into(), Some(root.join("op_1")), use_path_deps)?;
+    create_operator("op_2".into(), Some(root.join("op_2")), use_path_deps)?;
+    create_custom_node("node_1".into(), Some(root.join("node_1")), use_path_deps)?;
 
     println!(
         "Created new Rust dataflow at `{name}` at {}",
@@ -57,7 +61,11 @@ fn create_dataflow(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrR
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn create_operator(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
+fn create_operator(
+    name: String,
+    path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    use_path_deps: bool,
+) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
     const CARGO_TOML: &str = include_str!("operator/Cargo-template.toml");
     const LIB_RS: &str = include_str!("operator/lib-template.rs");
 
@@ -82,9 +90,17 @@ fn create_operator(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrR
     fs::create_dir(&src)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to create directory `{}`", src.display()))?;
 
+    let dep = if use_path_deps {
+        r#"dora-operator-api = { path = "../../apis/rust/operator" }"#.to_string()
+    } else {
+        format!(
+            r#"dora-operator-api = {{ git = "https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git", tag = "v{VERSION}" }}"#
+        )
+    };
     let cargo_toml = CARGO_TOML
         .replace("___name___", &name)
-        .replace("___version___", VERSION);
+        .replace("dora-operator-api = {}", &dep);
+
     let cargo_toml_path = root.join("Cargo.toml");
     fs::write(&cargo_toml_path, &cargo_toml)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to write `{}`", cargo_toml_path.display()))?;
@@ -101,7 +117,11 @@ fn create_operator(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrR
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn create_custom_node(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
+fn create_custom_node(
+    name: String,
+    path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    use_path_deps: bool,
+) -> Result<(), eyre::ErrReport> {
     const CARGO_TOML: &str = include_str!("node/Cargo-template.toml");
     const MAIN_RS: &str = include_str!("node/main-template.rs");
 
@@ -120,9 +140,16 @@ fn create_custom_node(name: String, path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), eyre::E
     fs::create_dir(&src)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to create directory `{}`", src.display()))?;
 
+    let dep = if use_path_deps {
+        r#"dora-node-api = { path = "../../apis/rust/node" }"#.to_string()
+    } else {
+        format!(
+            r#"dora-node-api = {{ git = "https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git", tag = "v{VERSION}" }}"#
+        )
+    };
     let cargo_toml = CARGO_TOML
         .replace("___name___", &name)
-        .replace("___version___", VERSION);
+        .replace("dora-node-api = {}", &dep);
     let cargo_toml_path = root.join("Cargo.toml");
     fs::write(&cargo_toml_path, &cargo_toml)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to write `{}`", cargo_toml_path.display()))?;
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/node/Cargo-template.toml b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/node/Cargo-template.toml
index 2d609a7eb..fa46f49a0 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/node/Cargo-template.toml
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/node/Cargo-template.toml
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ edition = "2021"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [dependencies]
-dora-node-api = { git = "https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git", tag = "v___version___" }
+dora-node-api = {}
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/operator/Cargo-template.toml b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/operator/Cargo-template.toml
index 0ee039cae..19ecbb9cd 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/operator/Cargo-template.toml
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/template/rust/operator/Cargo-template.toml
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ edition = "2021"
 crate-type = ["cdylib"]
 
 [dependencies]
-dora-operator-api = { git = "https://github.com/dora-rs/dora.git", tag = "v___version___" }
+dora-operator-api = {}