diff --git a/memgpt/client/client.py b/memgpt/client/client.py
index 79e9093f..2cb683f9 100644
--- a/memgpt/client/client.py
+++ b/memgpt/client/client.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ from typing import Callable, Dict, Generator, List, Optional, Union
 import requests
 
 import memgpt.utils
-from memgpt.config import MemGPTConfig
 from memgpt.constants import BASE_TOOLS, DEFAULT_HUMAN, DEFAULT_PERSONA
 from memgpt.data_sources.connectors import DataConnector
 from memgpt.functions.functions import parse_source_code
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@ from memgpt.schemas.openai.chat_completions import ToolCall
 from memgpt.schemas.passage import Passage
 from memgpt.schemas.source import Source, SourceCreate, SourceUpdate
 from memgpt.schemas.tool import Tool, ToolCreate, ToolUpdate
-from memgpt.schemas.user import UserCreate
 from memgpt.server.rest_api.interface import QueuingInterface
 from memgpt.server.server import SyncServer
 from memgpt.utils import get_human_text, get_persona_text
@@ -1353,14 +1351,6 @@ class LocalClient(AbstractClient):
         """
         self.auto_save = auto_save
 
-        # determine user_id (pulled from local config)
-        config = MemGPTConfig.load()
-        if user_id:
-            self.user_id = user_id
-        else:
-            # TODO: find a neater way to do this
-            self.user_id = config.anon_clientid
-
         # set logging levels
         memgpt.utils.DEBUG = debug
         logging.getLogger().setLevel(logging.CRITICAL)
@@ -1368,19 +1358,14 @@ class LocalClient(AbstractClient):
         self.interface = QueuingInterface(debug=debug)
         self.server = SyncServer(default_interface_factory=lambda: self.interface)
 
-        # set logging levels
-        memgpt.utils.DEBUG = debug
-        logging.getLogger().setLevel(logging.CRITICAL)
+        # save user_id that `LocalClient` is associated with
+        if user_id:
+            self.user_id = user_id
+        else:
+            # get default user
+            self.user_id = self.server.get_default_user().id
 
-        # create user if does not exist
-        existing_user = self.server.get_user(self.user_id)
-        if not existing_user:
-            self.user = self.server.create_user(UserCreate())
-            self.user_id = self.user.id
-
-            # update config
-            config.anon_clientid = str(self.user_id)
-            config.save()
+        print("USER", self.user_id)
 
     # agents
 
diff --git a/memgpt/constants.py b/memgpt/constants.py
index b9b59a4d..880cfc06 100644
--- a/memgpt/constants.py
+++ b/memgpt/constants.py
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 import os
 from logging import CRITICAL, DEBUG, ERROR, INFO, NOTSET, WARN, WARNING
 
+# Defaults
+DEFAULT_USER_ID = "user-00000000"
+DEFAULT_ORG_ID = "org-00000000"
+DEFAULT_USER_NAME = "default"
+DEFAULT_ORG_NAME = "default"
+
+# Default directory
 MEMGPT_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".memgpt")
 
 # String in the error message for when the context window is too large
diff --git a/memgpt/server/server.py b/memgpt/server/server.py
index 76dac18e..1da76779 100644
--- a/memgpt/server/server.py
+++ b/memgpt/server/server.py
@@ -1905,6 +1905,34 @@ class SyncServer(Server):
 
         self._current_user = user_id
 
+    def get_default_user(self) -> User:
+
+        from memgpt.constants import (
+            DEFAULT_ORG_ID,
+            DEFAULT_ORG_NAME,
+            DEFAULT_USER_ID,
+            DEFAULT_USER_NAME,
+        )
+
+        # check if default org exists
+        default_org = self.ms.get_organization(DEFAULT_ORG_ID)
+        if not default_org:
+            org = Organization(name=DEFAULT_ORG_NAME, id=DEFAULT_ORG_ID)
+            self.ms.create_organization(org)
+
+        # check if default user exists
+        default_user = self.get_user(DEFAULT_USER_ID)
+        if not default_user:
+            user = User(name=DEFAULT_USER_NAME, org_id=DEFAULT_ORG_ID, id=DEFAULT_USER_ID)
+            self.ms.create_user(user)
+
+            # add default data (TODO: move to org)
+            self.add_default_blocks(user.id)
+            self.add_default_tools(module_name="base", user_id=user.id)
+
+        # check if default org exists
+        return self.get_user(DEFAULT_USER_ID)
+
     # TODO(ethan) wire back to real method in future ORM PR
     def get_current_user(self) -> User:
         """Returns the currently authed user.
@@ -1918,6 +1946,7 @@ class SyncServer(Server):
             current_user = self.get_user(self._current_user)
             if not current_user:
                 warnings.warn(f"Provided user '{self._current_user}' not found, using default user")
+                return self.get_default_user()
             else:
                 return current_user