diff --git a/src/commcare_cloud/commands/ansible/ansible_playbook.py b/src/commcare_cloud/commands/ansible/ansible_playbook.py
index a1f87f2732..f00d35f1c9 100644
--- a/src/commcare_cloud/commands/ansible/ansible_playbook.py
+++ b/src/commcare_cloud/commands/ansible/ansible_playbook.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from commcare_cloud.alias import commcare_cloud
 from commcare_cloud.cli_utils import ask, has_arg, check_branch, print_command, has_local_connection_arg
 from commcare_cloud.user_utils import get_dev_username
-from commcare_cloud.colors import color_error, color_notice, color_code
+from commcare_cloud.colors import color_error, color_warning, color_notice, color_code
 from commcare_cloud.commands import shared_args
 from commcare_cloud.commands.ansible.helpers import (
     AnsibleContext, DEPRECATED_ANSIBLE_ARGS,
@@ -141,12 +141,9 @@ def ansible_playbook(playbook, *cmd_args):
         env_vars = ansible_context.build_env()
         cmd_parts += get_user_arg(public_vars, unknown_args, use_factory_auth)
 
-        if has_arg(unknown_args, '-D', '--diff') or has_arg(unknown_args, '-C', '--check'):
-            puts(color_error("Options --diff and --check not allowed. "
-                             "Please remove -D, --diff, -C, --check."))
-            puts(color_error("These ansible-playbook options are managed automatically "
-                             "by commcare-cloud and cannot be set manually."))
-            return 2  # exit code
+        if has_arg(unknown_args, '-D', '--diff'):
+            puts(color_warning("WARNING: Redundant --diff option."))
+            puts(color_warning("This ansible-playbook option is managed automatically by commcare-cloud."))
 
         cmd_parts += environment.secrets_backend.get_extra_ansible_args()
 
@@ -167,6 +164,11 @@ def run_check():
     def run_apply():
         return ansible_playbook(playbook, *unknown_args)
 
+    if has_arg(unknown_args, '-C', '--check'):
+        # run once with --check if that arg was specified explicitly
+        with ansible_context.environment.secrets_backend.suppress_datadog_event():
+            return ansible_playbook(playbook, *unknown_args)
+
     return run_action_with_check_mode(run_check, run_apply, skip_check, quiet, always_skip_check)