diff --git a/pkg/airgap/airgap.go b/pkg/airgap/airgap.go
index 5600e0c9e5..5010c2ef82 100644
--- a/pkg/airgap/airgap.go
+++ b/pkg/airgap/airgap.go
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ func CreateAppFromAirgap(opts CreateAirgapAppOpts) (finalError error) {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get downstream version status")
 	}
 
-	if status == storetypes.VersionPendingClusterManagement {
+	if status == storetypes.VersionPendingClusterManagement && configFile == "" {
 		// if pending cluster management, we don't want to deploy the app
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kotsadmconfig/config.go b/pkg/kotsadmconfig/config.go
index 3b335ffa38..cce6f780f8 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsadmconfig/config.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsadmconfig/config.go
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ func UpdateAppConfigValues(values map[string]kotsv1beta1.ConfigValue, configGrou
 	return values
 }
 
+// this is where config values that are passed to the install command are read from
 func ReadConfigValuesFromInClusterSecret() (string, error) {
 	log := logger.NewCLILogger(os.Stdout)
 
diff --git a/pkg/online/online.go b/pkg/online/online.go
index 0b707bcb27..ccaae0268a 100644
--- a/pkg/online/online.go
+++ b/pkg/online/online.go
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ func CreateAppFromOnline(opts CreateOnlineAppOpts) (_ *kotsutil.KotsKinds, final
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get downstream version status")
 	}
 
-	if status == storetypes.VersionPendingClusterManagement {
+	if status == storetypes.VersionPendingClusterManagement && configFile == "" {
 		// if pending cluster management, we don't want to deploy the app
 		return kotsKinds, nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 6fd7d111cb..3c0f572b7d 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func HomeDir() string {
 }
 
 func IsEmbeddedCluster() bool {
-	return os.Getenv("EMBEDDED_CLUSTER_ID") != ""
+	return EmbeddedClusterID() != ""
 }
 
 func EmbeddedClusterID() string {