diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Release history for stack-all
 
+## 0.6 (2024-05-19)
+- stack-all now works outside of projects too like stack does
+- error when --make-lts combined with a command args
+- also error for --create-config with versions or command args
+- bump default oldest lts from 16 to 18 (ghc-8.10)
+
 ## 0.5.2 (2024-04-18)
 - fix parsing of ltsXX
 - use https for snapshots url
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,28 +8,32 @@
 
 `stack-all` by default runs `stack build` over Stackage Nightly and
 LTS major versions
-(current default is nightly & major LTS versions back to lts-16)
+(current default is nightly & major LTS versions back to lts-18)
 corresponding to latest major ghc minor versions,
 with appropriate stack `--resolver` options.
 
-Note that `stack` only works if a `stack.yaml` file exists.
+Note that `stack` only works in a project if a `stack.yaml` file exists.
 If no `stack.yaml` file is found in a .cabal project,
 `stack-all` will create one.
 Of course it may still fail to build, but this allows for
-quickly trying to build a package that does not include stack support.
+quickly experiments to build a package that does not include stack support.
 
+Since 0.6, stack-all also works outside projects, like stack itself does.
+
 ### Help output
 `$ stack-all --version`
+
 ```
-0.5.2
+0.6
 ```
 `$ stack-all --help`
+
 ```
 Build over Stackage versions
 
-Usage: stack-all [--version] [(-c|--create-config) | (-s|--make-lts)] 
-                 [-k|--keep-going] [-d|--debug] [--refresh-cache] 
-                 [-n|--newest MAJOR] [(-o|--oldest MAJOR) | (-a|--all-lts)] 
+Usage: stack-all [--version] [(-c|--create-config) | (-s|--make-lts)]
+                 [-k|--keep-going] [-d|--debug] [--refresh-cache]
+                 [-n|--newest MAJOR] [(-o|--oldest MAJOR) | (-a|--all-lts)]
                  [MAJORVER... [COMMAND...]]
 
   stack-all builds projects easily across different Stackage versions
@@ -80,26 +84,26 @@
 There are `--oldest`  and `--newest` options to specify the range of
 lts versions to build over:
 
-You can specify the oldest major LTS to build for with eg `stack-all -o lts14`.
-Otherwise if not configured the default oldest LTS is currently `lts-16`.
+You can specify the oldest major LTS to build for with eg `stack-all -o lts16`.
+Otherwise if not configured the default oldest LTS is currently `lts-18`.
 
 Similarly you can specify the newest LTS version to build from with
 eg `stack-all -n lts20`. (The default is to build from nightly.)
 
 Alternatively, one can give one or more explicit LTS major versions to build
-for as arguments: eg `stack-all lts18` if you only wish to build that version.
+for as arguments: eg `stack-all lts19` if you only wish to build that version.
 
 ### Configuring the oldest and/or newest LTS to build
 You can configure the oldest working LTS major version for your project
-by running for example `stack-all -c -o lts-18` which generates a `.stack-all`
+by running for example `stack-all -c -o lts-19` which generates a `.stack-all`
 project config file like this:
 ```
 [versions]
-# lts-16 too old
-oldest = lts-18
+# lts-18 too old
+oldest = lts-19
 ```
 (the comment line can be used to document why the older LTS doesn't work).
-This specifies that the oldest LTS version to build for is lts-18.
+This specifies that the oldest LTS version to build for is lts-19.
 
 The newest LTS to build with stack-all can similarly be configured:
 `stack-all -c -n lts21` or setting `newest = lts-21`.
@@ -123,5 +127,4 @@
 You can also build from git source with `stack install` or `cabal install`.
 
 ## Collaboration
-The project is hosted at https://github.com/juhp/stack-all
-under a BSD license.
+The project is hosted at https://github.com/juhp/stack-all under a BSD license.
diff --git a/src/Main.hs b/src/Main.hs
--- a/src/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Main.hs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 import Snapshots
 
 defaultOldestLTS :: MajorVer
-defaultOldestLTS = LTS 16
+defaultOldestLTS = LTS 18
 
 data VersionLimit = DefaultLimit | Oldest MajorVer | AllVersions
 
@@ -45,36 +45,39 @@
 run :: Command -> Bool ->Bool -> Bool -> Maybe MajorVer
     -> VersionLimit -> [String] -> IO ()
 run command keepgoing debug refresh mnewest verlimit verscmd = do
-  findStackProjectDir Nothing
+  whenJustM findStackProjectDir setCurrentDirectory
+  (versions, cargs) <- getVersionsCmd
   case command of
-    CreateConfig ->
+    CreateConfig -> do
+      unless (null cargs) $
+        error' "cannot combine --create-config with stack commands"
+      unless (null versions) $
+        error' "cannot combine --create-config with major versions"
       case verlimit of
         Oldest oldest -> createStackAll (Just oldest) mnewest
         _ -> createStackAll Nothing mnewest
     MakeStackLTS -> do
-      (versions, _) <- getVersionsCmd
+      unless (null cargs) $
+        error' "cannot combine --make-lts with stack commands"
       if null versions
         then error' "--make-lts needs an LTS major version"
         else makeStackLTS refresh versions
     DefaultRun -> do
-      (versions, cargs) <- getVersionsCmd
       configs <- readStackConfigs
       let newestFilter = maybe id (filter . (>=)) mnewest
       mapM_ (stackBuild configs keepgoing debug refresh cargs) (newestFilter versions)
   where
-    findStackProjectDir :: Maybe FilePath -> IO ()
-    findStackProjectDir mcwd = do
+    findStackProjectDir :: IO (Maybe FilePath)
+    findStackProjectDir = do
       haveStackYaml <- doesFileExist "stack.yaml"
+      mcwdir <- Just <$> getCurrentDirectory
       if haveStackYaml
-        then return ()
-        else do
-        cwdir <- getCurrentDirectory
-        if cwdir /= "/"
-          then setCurrentDirectory ".." >>
-               findStackProjectDir (if isJust mcwd then mcwd else Just cwdir)
+        then return mcwdir
+        else
+        if mcwdir /= Just "/"
+          then withCurrentDirectory ".." findStackProjectDir
           else do
           putStrLn "stack.yaml not found"
-          whenJust mcwd setCurrentDirectory
           haveCabalFile <- doesFileExistWithExtension "." ".cabal"
           if haveCabalFile
             then do
@@ -83,7 +86,10 @@
             unlessM (cmdBool "stack" ["init"]) $ do
               snap <- latestLtsSnapshot refresh
               writeFile "stack.yaml" $ "resolver: " ++ snap ++ "\n"
-            else error' "no package/project found"
+            return mcwdir
+            else do
+            putStrLn "no package/project found"
+            return Nothing
 
     getVersionsCmd :: IO ([MajorVer],[String])
     getVersionsCmd = do
diff --git a/stack-all.cabal b/stack-all.cabal
--- a/stack-all.cabal
+++ b/stack-all.cabal
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 name:                stack-all
-version:             0.5.2
-synopsis:            CLI tool for building across Stackage major versions
+version:             0.6
+synopsis:            CLI tool for building over Stackage major versions
 description:
-        Build your Haskell project over Stackage major LTS versions.
+        Build a Haskell project over one or many Stackage major LTS versions.
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
 author:              Jens Petersen <juhpetersen@gmail.com>
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 cabal-version:       1.18
 tested-with:         GHC == 8.0.2, GHC == 8.2.2, GHC == 8.4.4, GHC == 8.6.5,
                      GHC == 8.8.4, GHC == 8.10.7, GHC == 9.0.2, GHC == 9.2.8,
-                     GHC == 9.4.8, GHC == 9.6.4, GHC == 9.8.2
+                     GHC == 9.4.8, GHC == 9.6.5, GHC == 9.8.2
 
 source-repository head
   type:                git