diff --git a/cmd/deploy.go b/cmd/deploy.go
index 2c2daf9..67aa6da 100644
--- a/cmd/deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/deploy.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func runDeploy(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return errors.New("already in a roxie sub-shell (ROXIE_SHELL environment variable is set), please exit the shell and try again")
 	}
 
-	if !env.RunningInteractively && envrc == "" {
+	if components.IncludesCentral() && !env.RunningInteractively && envrc == "" {
 		return errors.New("running without a controlling terminal requires --envrc to be set")
 	}
 
@@ -179,7 +179,6 @@ func runDeploy(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	if envrc != "" {
-		log.Dimf("Writing environment variables to %s", envrc)
 		d.SetEnvrcFile(envrc)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/deployer/deployer.go b/internal/deployer/deployer.go
index 489d5dc..82860dc 100644
--- a/internal/deployer/deployer.go
+++ b/internal/deployer/deployer.go
@@ -640,6 +640,7 @@ func (d *Deployer) deployCentral(ctx context.Context, resources, exposure string
 
 	// envrc may be used from different processes, so use actual endpoint not port-forward
 	if d.envrcFile != "" {
+		d.logger.Dimf("Writing environment variables to %s", d.envrcFile)
 		if err := d.writeEnvrcFile(ctx, exposure, portForwardWanted); err != nil {
 			d.logger.Warningf("Failed to write envrc file: %v", err)
 		}