diff --git a/cli/cmd/project/connect_github.go b/cli/cmd/project/connect_github.go
index 22fbe33d851..419ca9d457b 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/project/connect_github.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/project/connect_github.go
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ func ConnectGithubFlow(ctx context.Context, ch *cmdutil.Helper, opts *DeployOpts
 		vars, err := local.ParseDotenv(ctx, localProjectPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			ch.PrintfWarn("Failed to parse .env: %v\n", err)
-		} else {
+		} else if len(vars) > 0 {
 			c, err := ch.Client()
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/cli/cmd/project/deploy.go b/cli/cmd/project/deploy.go
index b95b89be51e..1b323dfcd8f 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/project/deploy.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/project/deploy.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func DeployWithUploadFlow(ctx context.Context, ch *cmdutil.Helper, opts *DeployO
 		vars, err := local.ParseDotenv(ctx, localProjectPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			ch.PrintfWarn("Failed to parse .env: %v\n", err)
-		} else {
+		} else if len(vars) > 0 {
 			_, err = adminClient.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
 				Organization: ch.Org,
 				Project:      opts.Name,
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func DeployWithUploadFlow(ctx context.Context, ch *cmdutil.Helper, opts *DeployO
 	vars, err := local.ParseDotenv(ctx, localProjectPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		ch.PrintfWarn("Failed to parse .env: %v\n", err)
-	} else {
+	} else if len(vars) > 0 {
 		_, err = adminClient.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
 			Organization: ch.Org,
 			Project:      opts.Name,
diff --git a/cli/pkg/local/server.go b/cli/pkg/local/server.go
index 963e7de1f7c..31eef9a84d8 100644
--- a/cli/pkg/local/server.go
+++ b/cli/pkg/local/server.go
@@ -396,13 +396,15 @@ func (s *Server) DeployProject(ctx context.Context, r *connect.Request[localv1.D
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse .env: %w", err)
 	}
-	_, err = c.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
-		Organization: r.Msg.Org,
-		Project:      r.Msg.ProjectName,
-		Variables:    dotenv,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if len(dotenv) > 0 {
+		_, err = c.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
+			Organization: r.Msg.Org,
+			Project:      r.Msg.ProjectName,
+			Variables:    dotenv,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	return connect.NewResponse(&localv1.DeployProjectResponse{
@@ -457,13 +459,15 @@ func (s *Server) RedeployProject(ctx context.Context, r *connect.Request[localv1
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse .env: %w", err)
 	}
-	_, err = c.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
-		Organization: projResp.Project.OrgName,
-		Project:      projResp.Project.Name,
-		Variables:    dotenv,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if len(dotenv) > 0 {
+		_, err = c.UpdateProjectVariables(ctx, &adminv1.UpdateProjectVariablesRequest{
+			Organization: projResp.Project.OrgName,
+			Project:      projResp.Project.Name,
+			Variables:    dotenv,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// TODO : Add other update project fields