diff --git a/esmvaltool/diag_scripts/shared/_base.py b/esmvaltool/diag_scripts/shared/_base.py
index 1789909130..daae8073b9 100644
--- a/esmvaltool/diag_scripts/shared/_base.py
+++ b/esmvaltool/diag_scripts/shared/_base.py
@@ -568,7 +568,11 @@ def main(cfg):
         logger.info("Removing %s from previous run.", provenance_file)
         os.remove(provenance_file)
 
-    if not args.no_distributed and 'scheduler_address' in cfg:
+    use_distributed = not (
+       args.no_distributed
+       or cfg.get('no_distributed', False)
+    )
+    if use_distributed and 'scheduler_address' in cfg:
         try:
             client = distributed.Client(cfg['scheduler_address'])
         except OSError as exc:
diff --git a/esmvaltool/recipes/recipe_eady_growth_rate.yml b/esmvaltool/recipes/recipe_eady_growth_rate.yml
index b0eea7f708..d05020d06d 100644
--- a/esmvaltool/recipes/recipe_eady_growth_rate.yml
+++ b/esmvaltool/recipes/recipe_eady_growth_rate.yml
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ diagnostics:
     scripts:
       annual_eady_growth_rate:
         script: primavera/eady_growth_rate/eady_growth_rate.py
+        no_distributed: true
         time_statistic: 'annual_mean'
 
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ diagnostics:
     scripts:
       summer_eady_growth_rate:
         script: primavera/eady_growth_rate/eady_growth_rate.py
+        no_distributed: true
         time_statistic: 'seasonal_mean'
 
   winter_egr:
@@ -76,5 +78,6 @@ diagnostics:
     scripts:
       winter_eady_growth_rate:
         script: primavera/eady_growth_rate/eady_growth_rate.py
+        no_distributed: true
         time_statistic: 'seasonal_mean'
         plot_levels: [70000]