diff --git a/internal/runbits/runtime/runtime.go b/internal/runbits/runtime/runtime.go
index ef29af90e8..4a49408794 100644
--- a/internal/runbits/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/internal/runbits/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type Opts struct {
 	CommitID            strfmt.UUID
 	Commit              *bpModel.Commit
 	ValidateBuildscript bool
+	NoAsync             bool
 }
 
 type SetOpt func(*Opts)
@@ -80,6 +81,12 @@ func WithoutBuildscriptValidation() SetOpt {
 	}
 }
 
+func WithoutAsync() SetOpt {
+	return func(opts *Opts) {
+		opts.NoAsync = true
+	}
+}
+
 type primeable interface {
 	primer.Projecter
 	primer.Auther
@@ -204,7 +211,7 @@ func Update(
 
 	// Async runtimes should still do everything up to the actual update itself, because we still want to raise
 	// any errors regarding solves, buildscripts, etc.
-	if prime.Config().GetBool(constants.AsyncRuntimeConfig) {
+	if prime.Config().GetBool(constants.AsyncRuntimeConfig) && !opts.NoAsync {
 		logging.Debug("Skipping runtime update due to async runtime")
 		return rt, nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runners/activate/activate.go b/internal/runners/activate/activate.go
index cae617162d..d38751ceba 100644
--- a/internal/runners/activate/activate.go
+++ b/internal/runners/activate/activate.go
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func (r *Activate) Run(params *ActivateParams) (rerr error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(r.prime, trigger.TriggerActivate, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(r.prime, trigger.TriggerActivate, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapError(err, "err_could_not_activate_venv", "Could not activate project")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runners/deploy/deploy.go b/internal/runners/deploy/deploy.go
index 69613845ae..dea3b67ff8 100644
--- a/internal/runners/deploy/deploy.go
+++ b/internal/runners/deploy/deploy.go
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func (d *Deploy) install(params *Params, commitID strfmt.UUID) (rerr error) {
 	pg := progress.NewRuntimeProgressIndicator(d.output)
 	defer rtutils.Closer(pg.Close, &rerr)
 
-	if _, err := runtime_runbit.Update(d.prime, trigger.TriggerDeploy, runtime_runbit.WithTargetDir(params.Path)); err != nil {
+	if _, err := runtime_runbit.Update(d.prime, trigger.TriggerDeploy, runtime_runbit.WithTargetDir(params.Path), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync()); err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapError(err, "err_deploy_runtime_err", "Could not initialize runtime")
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/runners/exec/exec.go b/internal/runners/exec/exec.go
index 6a307f232d..bfca96a1cb 100644
--- a/internal/runners/exec/exec.go
+++ b/internal/runners/exec/exec.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (s *Exec) Run(params *Params, args ...string) (rerr error) {
 
 	s.out.Notice(locale.Tr("operating_message", projectNamespace, projectDir))
 
-	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(s.prime, trigger, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(s.prime, trigger, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return errs.Wrap(err, "Could not initialize runtime")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runners/refresh/refresh.go b/internal/runners/refresh/refresh.go
index f57c3e9275..4de7699c58 100644
--- a/internal/runners/refresh/refresh.go
+++ b/internal/runners/refresh/refresh.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func (r *Refresh) Run(params *Params) error {
 		return locale.NewInputError("refresh_runtime_uptodate")
 	}
 
-	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(r.prime, trigger.TriggerRefresh, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(r.prime, trigger.TriggerRefresh, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapError(err, "err_refresh_runtime_new", "Could not update runtime for this project.")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runners/shell/shell.go b/internal/runners/shell/shell.go
index 4a8cbe7d85..53978498da 100644
--- a/internal/runners/shell/shell.go
+++ b/internal/runners/shell/shell.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (u *Shell) Run(params *Params) error {
 		return locale.NewInputError("err_shell_commit_id_mismatch")
 	}
 
-	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(u.prime, trigger.TriggerShell, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(u.prime, trigger.TriggerShell, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapExternalError(err, "err_shell_runtime_new", "Could not start a shell/prompt for this project.")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runners/use/use.go b/internal/runners/use/use.go
index 1169a16deb..c005bb7bfc 100644
--- a/internal/runners/use/use.go
+++ b/internal/runners/use/use.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (u *Use) Run(params *Params) error {
 		return locale.NewInputError("err_use_commit_id_mismatch")
 	}
 
-	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(u.prime, trigger.TriggerUse, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rti, err := runtime_runbit.Update(u.prime, trigger.TriggerUse, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapError(err, "err_use_runtime_new", "Cannot use this project.")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/scriptrun/scriptrun.go b/internal/scriptrun/scriptrun.go
index 12f94c17c9..129bedbd84 100644
--- a/internal/scriptrun/scriptrun.go
+++ b/internal/scriptrun/scriptrun.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (s *ScriptRun) NeedsActivation() bool {
 
 // PrepareVirtualEnv sets up the relevant runtime and prepares the environment.
 func (s *ScriptRun) PrepareVirtualEnv() (rerr error) {
-	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(s.prime, trigger.TriggerScript, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders())
+	rt, err := runtime_runbit.Update(s.prime, trigger.TriggerScript, runtime_runbit.WithoutHeaders(), runtime_runbit.WithoutAsync())
 	if err != nil {
 		return locale.WrapError(err, "err_activate_runtime", "Could not initialize a runtime for this project.")
 	}