diff --git a/igniter/update_window.py b/igniter/update_window.py
index 2edb3f2c6b..a49a84cfee 100644
--- a/igniter/update_window.py
+++ b/igniter/update_window.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 """Progress window to show when OpenPype is updating/installing locally."""
 import os
-import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 from .update_thread import UpdateThread
 from Qt import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets  # noqa
@@ -12,8 +11,8 @@ def load_stylesheet(path: str = None) -> str:
     """Load css style sheet.
 
     Args:
-        path (str, optional): Path to stylesheet. If none, `stylesheet.css` from
-            current package's path is used.
+        path (str, optional): Path to stylesheet. If none, `stylesheet.css`
+            from current package's path is used.
     Returns:
         str: content of the stylesheet
 
diff --git a/start.py b/start.py
index ca48fdf3b7..27dc105394 100644
--- a/start.py
+++ b/start.py
@@ -397,6 +397,9 @@ def _process_arguments() -> tuple:
     # handle igniter
     # this is helper to run igniter before anything else
     if "igniter" in sys.argv:
+        if os.getenv("OPENPYPE_HEADLESS"):
+            _print("!!! Cannot open Igniter dialog in headless mode.")
+            sys.exit(1)
         import igniter
         return_code = igniter.open_dialog()
 
@@ -444,6 +447,11 @@ def _determine_mongodb() -> str:
 
     if not openpype_mongo:
         _print("*** No DB connection string specified.")
+        if os.getenv("OPENPYPE_HEADLESS"):
+            _print("!!! Cannot open Igniter dialog in headless mode.")
+            _print(
+                "!!! Please use `OPENPYPE_MONGO` to specify server address.")
+            sys.exit(1)
         _print("--- launching setup UI ...")
 
         result = igniter.open_dialog()
@@ -547,6 +555,9 @@ def _find_frozen_openpype(use_version: str = None,
         except IndexError:
             # no OpenPype version found, run Igniter and ask for them.
             _print('*** No OpenPype versions found.')
+            if os.getenv("OPENPYPE_HEADLESS"):
+                _print("!!! Cannot open Igniter dialog in headless mode.")
+                sys.exit(1)
             _print("--- launching setup UI ...")
             import igniter
             return_code = igniter.open_dialog()