diff --git a/src/bin/vip-app-deploy.ts b/src/bin/vip-app-deploy.ts
index f1b4ea5ebd..7284eb0a8d 100755
--- a/src/bin/vip-app-deploy.ts
+++ b/src/bin/vip-app-deploy.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ import {
 } from '../lib/custom-deploy/custom-deploy';
 import { trackEventWithEnv } from '../lib/tracker';
 
-const CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY = process.env.CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY || '';
-
 const appQuery = `
 	id,
 	name,
@@ -129,10 +127,8 @@ export async function appDeployCmd( arg: string[] = [], opts: Record< string, un
 		exit.withError( 'The type of application you specified does not currently support deploys.' );
 	}
 
-	if ( CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY ) {
-		debug( 'Validating custom deploy key...' );
-		await validateCustomDeployKey( CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY, envId );
-	}
+	debug( 'Validating custom deploy key if present...' );
+	await validateCustomDeployKey( envId );
 
 	await validateFile( app, env, fileMeta );
 
diff --git a/src/lib/custom-deploy/custom-deploy.ts b/src/lib/custom-deploy/custom-deploy.ts
index 2460aa72c9..990ae006f0 100644
--- a/src/lib/custom-deploy/custom-deploy.ts
+++ b/src/lib/custom-deploy/custom-deploy.ts
@@ -11,16 +11,14 @@ import { trackEventWithEnv } from '../../lib/tracker';
 import { validateDeployFileExt, validateFilename } from '../../lib/validations/custom-deploy';
 
 const DEPLOY_MAX_FILE_SIZE = 4 * GB_IN_BYTES;
+const CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY = process.env.CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY;
 
 export function isSupportedApp( app: App ): boolean {
 	return WORDPRESS_SITE_TYPE_IDS.includes( app.typeId as number );
 }
 
-export async function validateCustomDeployKey(
-	customDeployKey: string,
-	envId: number
-): Promise< void > {
-	if ( customDeployKey.length === 0 ) {
+export async function validateCustomDeployKey( envId: number ): Promise< void > {
+	if ( ! CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY || CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY.length === 0 ) {
 		exit.withError( 'Valid custom deploy key is required.' );
 	}
 
@@ -32,7 +30,7 @@ export async function validateCustomDeployKey(
 	}
 `;
 
-	const api = await API( { customAuthToken: customDeployKey } );
+	const api = await API( { customAuthToken: CUSTOM_DEPLOY_KEY } );
 	try {
 		await api.mutate( { mutation: VALIDATE_CUSTOM_DEPLOY_ACCESS_MUTATION } );
 	} catch ( error ) {