diff --git a/packages/core/cli/src/commands/dev.js b/packages/core/cli/src/commands/dev.js
index 1e17dec81..480567d18 100644
--- a/packages/core/cli/src/commands/dev.js
+++ b/packages/core/cli/src/commands/dev.js
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ module.exports = (cli) => {
         });
       }
       await runAppCommand('install', ['--silent']);
-      if (opts.dbSync) {
-        await runAppCommand('db:sync');
-      }
+      // if (opts.dbSync) {
+      //   await runAppCommand('db:sync');
+      // }
       if (server || !client) {
         console.log('starting server', serverPort);
         const argv = [
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ module.exports = (cli) => {
           ...process.argv.slice(3),
           `--port=${serverPort}`,
         ];
+        if (opts.dbSync) {
+          argv.push('--db-sync');
+        }
         run('ts-node-dev', argv, {
           env: {
             APP_PORT: serverPort,
diff --git a/packages/core/client/src/collection-manager/Configuration/schemas/collections.ts b/packages/core/client/src/collection-manager/Configuration/schemas/collections.ts
index a3d942816..15c2ed055 100644
--- a/packages/core/client/src/collection-manager/Configuration/schemas/collections.ts
+++ b/packages/core/client/src/collection-manager/Configuration/schemas/collections.ts
@@ -62,12 +62,7 @@ export const collectionSchema: ISchema = {
           params: {
             pageSize: 50,
             filter: {
-              inherit: false,
-              options: {
-                // filter auto create through collections
-                autoCreate: { $not: true },
-                isThrough: { $not: true },
-              },
+              'hidden.$isFalsy': true,
             },
             sort: ['sort'],
             appends: [],
diff --git a/packages/core/server/src/application.ts b/packages/core/server/src/application.ts
index b55bd8a89..a29de2e66 100644
--- a/packages/core/server/src/application.ts
+++ b/packages/core/server/src/application.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ interface ListenOptions {
 
 interface StartOptions {
   cliArgs?: any[];
+  dbSync?: boolean;
   listen?: ListenOptions;
 }
 
@@ -352,6 +353,11 @@ export class Application<StateT = DefaultState, ContextT = DefaultContext> exten
       await this.db.reconnect();
     }
 
+    if (options.dbSync) {
+      console.log('db sync...');
+      await this.db.sync();
+    }
+
     await this.emitAsync('beforeStart', this, options);
 
     if (options?.listen?.port) {
diff --git a/packages/core/server/src/commands/db-sync.ts b/packages/core/server/src/commands/db-sync.ts
index d744144dc..8e91d9b1c 100644
--- a/packages/core/server/src/commands/db-sync.ts
+++ b/packages/core/server/src/commands/db-sync.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ export default (app: Application) => {
   app.command('db:sync').action(async (...cliArgs) => {
     const [opts] = cliArgs;
     console.log('db sync...');
-    await app.emitAsync('cli.beforeDbSync', ...cliArgs);
     const force = false;
     await app.db.sync({
       force,
diff --git a/packages/core/server/src/commands/start.ts b/packages/core/server/src/commands/start.ts
index 5e76046b7..605e2963d 100644
--- a/packages/core/server/src/commands/start.ts
+++ b/packages/core/server/src/commands/start.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ export default (app: Application) => {
     .option('-s, --silent')
     .option('-p, --port [post]')
     .option('-h, --host [host]')
+    .option('--db-sync')
     .action(async (...cliArgs) => {
       const [opts] = cliArgs;
       const port = opts.port || process.env.APP_PORT || 13000;
       const host = opts.host || process.env.APP_HOST || '0.0.0.0';
 
       await app.start({
+        dbSync: opts?.dbSync,
         cliArgs,
         listen: {
           port,
diff --git a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/collections/collections.ts b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/collections/collections.ts
index 1c4ae1007..2b08305ba 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/collections/collections.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/collections/collections.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ export default {
       name: 'inherit',
       defaultValue: false,
     },
+    {
+      type: 'boolean',
+      name: 'hidden',
+      defaultValue: false,
+    },
     {
       type: 'json',
       name: 'options',
diff --git a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/hooks/afterCreateForForeignKeyField.ts b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/hooks/afterCreateForForeignKeyField.ts
index 81b6a171e..afe353a13 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/hooks/afterCreateForForeignKeyField.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/hooks/afterCreateForForeignKeyField.ts
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ export function afterCreateForForeignKeyField(db: Database) {
             title: through,
             timestamps: false,
             autoGenId: false,
+            hidden: true,
             autoCreate: true,
             isThrough: true,
           },
diff --git a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/server.ts b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/server.ts
index d133f5f4b..663fbfad6 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/collection-manager/src/server.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   beforeCreateForChildrenCollection,
   beforeCreateForReverseField,
   beforeDestroyForeignKey,
-  beforeInitOptions,
+  beforeInitOptions
 } from './hooks';
 
 import { CollectionModel, FieldModel } from './models';
@@ -130,7 +130,16 @@ export class CollectionManagerPlugin extends Plugin {
       }
       const exists = await this.app.db.collectionExistsInDb('collections');
       if (exists) {
-        await this.app.db.getRepository<CollectionRepository>('collections').load();
+        try {
+          await this.app.db.getRepository<CollectionRepository>('collections').load();
+        } catch (error) {
+          await this.app.db.sync();
+          try {
+            await this.app.db.getRepository<CollectionRepository>('collections').load();
+          } catch (error) {
+            throw error;
+          }
+        }
       }
     });