diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/dolt.go b/go/cmd/dolt/dolt.go
index 9db0b288fe..5c09e820eb 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/dolt.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/dolt.go
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ var commandsWithoutGlobalArgSupport = []cli.Command{
 	commands.ConfigCmd{},
 }
 
+// commands that do not need write access for the current directory
+var commandsWithoutCurrentDirWrites = []cli.Command{
+	commands.VersionCmd{VersionStr: Version},
+	commands.ConfigCmd{},
+	commands.ProfileCmd{},
+}
+
 func initCliContext(commandName string) bool {
 	for _, command := range commandsWithoutCliCtx {
 		if command.Name() == commandName {
@@ -185,6 +192,15 @@ func supportsGlobalArgs(commandName string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func needsWriteAccess(commandName string) bool {
+	for _, command := range commandsWithoutCurrentDirWrites {
+		if command.Name() == commandName {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 var doltCommand = cli.NewSubCommandHandler("dolt", "it's git for data", doltSubCommands)
 var globalArgParser = cli.CreateGlobalArgParser("dolt")
 var globalDocs = cli.CommandDocsForCommandString("dolt", doc, globalArgParser)
@@ -432,6 +448,10 @@ func runMain() int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
+	if dEnv.CfgLoadErr != nil {
+		cli.PrintErrln(color.RedString("Failed to load the global config. %v", dEnv.CfgLoadErr))
+		return 1
+	}
 	globalConfig, ok := dEnv.Config.GetConfig(env.GlobalConfig)
 	if !ok {
 		cli.PrintErrln(color.RedString("Failed to get global config"))
@@ -450,25 +470,6 @@ func runMain() int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	dataDir, hasDataDir := apr.GetValue(commands.DataDirFlag)
-	if hasDataDir {
-		// If a relative path was provided, this ensures we have an absolute path everywhere.
-		dataDir, err = fs.Abs(dataDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			cli.PrintErrln(color.RedString("Failed to get absolute path for %s: %v", dataDir, err))
-			return 1
-		}
-		if ok, dir := fs.Exists(dataDir); !ok || !dir {
-			cli.Println(color.RedString("Provided data directory does not exist: %s", dataDir))
-			return 1
-		}
-	}
-
-	if dEnv.CfgLoadErr != nil {
-		cli.PrintErrln(color.RedString("Failed to load the global config. %v", dEnv.CfgLoadErr))
-		return 1
-	}
-
 	emitter := events.NewFileEmitter(root, dbfactory.DoltDir)
 
 	defer func() {
@@ -496,8 +497,7 @@ func runMain() int {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	// version does not need write permissions
-	if subcommandName != "version" {
+	if needsWriteAccess(subcommandName) {
 		err = reconfigIfTempFileMoveFails(dEnv)
 
 		if err != nil {
@@ -508,6 +508,20 @@ func runMain() int {
 
 	defer tempfiles.MovableTempFileProvider.Clean()
 
+	dataDir, hasDataDir := apr.GetValue(commands.DataDirFlag)
+	if hasDataDir {
+		// If a relative path was provided, this ensures we have an absolute path everywhere.
+		dataDir, err = fs.Abs(dataDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			cli.PrintErrln(color.RedString("Failed to get absolute path for %s: %v", dataDir, err))
+			return 1
+		}
+		if ok, dir := fs.Exists(dataDir); !ok || !dir {
+			cli.Println(color.RedString("Provided data directory does not exist: %s", dataDir))
+			return 1
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Find all database names and add global variables for them. This needs to
 	// occur before a call to dsess.InitPersistedSystemVars. Otherwise, database
 	// specific persisted system vars will fail to load.
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/config.bats b/integration-tests/bats/config.bats
index 8b66bc9bf9..f9e0cf0b32 100644
--- a/integration-tests/bats/config.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/config.bats
@@ -287,3 +287,9 @@ teardown() {
     [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
     [[ "$output" =~ "* vegan-btw" ]] || false
 }
+
+@test "config: config doesn't need write permission in current dir" {
+    chmod 111 .
+    dolt config --list
+    chmod 755 .
+}
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/no-repo.bats b/integration-tests/bats/no-repo.bats
index d58fa4ba87..d87a8e13ef 100755
--- a/integration-tests/bats/no-repo.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/no-repo.bats
@@ -130,8 +130,7 @@ teardown() {
 
 @test "no-repo: dolt version does not need write permissions" {
     chmod 111 .
-    run dolt version
-    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+    dolt version
     chmod 755 .
 }
 
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/profile.bats b/integration-tests/bats/profile.bats
index d90f0901db..405c6522a9 100755
--- a/integration-tests/bats/profile.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/profile.bats
@@ -388,3 +388,9 @@ teardown() {
     [[ ! "$output" =~ "defaultTable" ]] || false
     [[ "$output" =~ "altTable" ]] || false
 }
+
+@test "profile: profile doesn't need write permission in current dir" {
+    chmod 111 .
+    dolt profile
+    chmod 755 .
+}