az bicep prints version information when check_version is false

[waggonerh]

Describe the bug

When publishing bicep modules ("az publish") to our container registry, we receive the below output for each file:

Bicep CLI is already installed at '/agent/_work/_temp/.azclitask/bin/bicep'. Skipping installation as no specific version was requested.

We deploy around 100 files to the registry. This line is printed for every file, bloats the output and makes troubleshooting tedious.

We set the below flag, but it does not stop the output:

az config set bicep.check_version=false

Possible source: https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli/blob/2a6319e38494ba1a316b04391ad0d8a8cf86068b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/resource/_bicep.py#L137C13-L137C18

Related command

az config set bicep.check_version=false

az bicep publish --file $filePath --target "br:*****.azurecr.io/infrastructure/bicep/imports:$importName" --with-source --force

Errors

Bicep CLI is already installed at '/agent/_work/_temp/.azclitask/bin/bicep'. Skipping installation as no specific version was requested.

Issue script & Debug output

cli.knack.cli: Command arguments: ['bicep', 'publish', '--file', '.\Bicep\Imports\Functions.bicep', '--target', 'br:.azurecr.io/infrastructure/bicep/imports:functions', '--with-source', '--force', '--debug']
cli.knack.cli: init debug log:
Enable color in terminal.
cli.knack.cli: Event: Cli.PreExecute []
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandParser.OnGlobalArgumentsCreate [<function CLILogging.on_global_arguments at 0x000001417BCD45E0>, <function OutputProducer.on_global_arguments at 0x000001417C261940>, <function CLIQuery.on_global_arguments at 0x000001417C2BB880>]
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPreCommandTableCreate []
cli.azure.cli.core: Modules found from index for 'bicep': ['azure.cli.command_modules.resource']
cli.azure.cli.core: Loading command modules:
cli.azure.cli.core: Name Load Time Groups Commands
cli.azure.cli.core: resource 1.245 52 234
cli.azure.cli.core: Total (1) 1.245 52 234
cli.azure.cli.core: These extensions are not installed and will be skipped: ['azext_ai_examples', 'azext_next']
cli.azure.cli.core: Loading extensions:
cli.azure.cli.core: Name Load Time Groups Commands Directory
cli.azure.cli.core: Total (0) 0.000 0 0
cli.azure.cli.core: Loaded 52 groups, 234 commands.
cli.azure.cli.core: Found a match in the command table.
cli.azure.cli.core: Raw command : bicep publish
cli.azure.cli.core: Command table: bicep publish
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPreCommandTableTruncate [<function AzCliLogging.init_command_file_logging at 0x000001417E9F11C0>]
cli.azure.cli.core.azlogging: metadata file logging enabled - writing logs to '.azure\commands\2025-12-26.09-59-08.bicep_publish.25284.log'.
az_command_data_logger: command args: bicep publish --file {} --target {} --with-source --force --debug
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPreArgumentLoad [<function register_global_subscription_argument..add_subscription_parameter at 0x000001417EA36700>]
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPostArgumentLoad []
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPostCommandTableCreate [<function register_ids_argument..add_ids_arguments at 0x000001417EA5CA40>, <function register_cache_arguments..add_cache_arguments at 0x000001417EA5CC20>, <function register_upcoming_breaking_change_info..update_breaking_change_info at 0x000001417EA5CCC0>]
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnCommandTableLoaded []
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPreParseArgs []
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnPostParseArgs [<function OutputProducer.handle_output_argument at 0x000001417C2619E0>, <function CLIQuery.handle_query_parameter at 0x000001417C2BB920>, <function register_ids_argument..parse_ids_arguments at 0x000001417EA5CAE0>]
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
Bicep CLI is already installed at '*.azure\bin\bicep.exe'. Skipping installation as no specific version was requested.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Current value of "use_binary_from_path": false.
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Bicep CLI installation path: ***.azure\bin\bicep.exe
cli.azure.cli.command_modules.resource._bicep: Bicep CLI installed: True.
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnTransformResult [<function _resource_group_transform at 0x000001417EA36020>, <function x509_from_base64_to_hex_transform at 0x000001417EA360C0>]
cli.knack.cli: Event: CommandInvoker.OnFilterResult []
cli.knack.cli: Event: Cli.SuccessfulExecute []
cli.knack.cli: Event: Cli.PostExecute [<function AzCliLogging.deinit_cmd_metadata_logging at 0x000001417E9F1440>]
az_command_data_logger: exit code: 0
cli.main: Command ran in 12.232 seconds (init: 1.108, invoke: 11.124)
telemetry.main: Begin splitting cli events and extra events, total events: 1
telemetry.client: Accumulated 0 events. Flush the clients.
telemetry.main: Finish splitting cli events and extra events, cli events: 1
telemetry.save: Save telemetry record of length 3745 in cache file under ***.azure\telemetry\20251226095918373
telemetry.main: Begin creating telemetry upload process.
telemetry.process: Creating upload process: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\CLI2\python.exe C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\CLI2\Lib\site-packages\azure\cli\telemetry_init.pyc ***.azure ***.azure\telemetry\20251226095918373"
telemetry.process: Return from creating process 16848
telemetry.main: Finish creating telemetry upload process.

Expected behavior

Setting bicep check_version=false should disable version related outputs, or version related outputs should be behind --debug.

Environment Summary

az --version

azure-cli 2.81.0

core 2.81.0
telemetry 1.1.0

Extensions:
account 0.2.5
application-insights 1.2.3
automation 1.0.0b1
azure-devops 1.0.2
azure-firewall 2.0.0
datafactory 1.0.4
dns-resolver 1.2.0
front-door 1.4.0
logic 1.1.0
maintenance 1.7.0b1
ml 2.40.1
monitor-control-service 1.2.0
notification-hub 2.0.0b1
portal 1.0.0b2
reservation 0.3.1
resource-graph 2.1.1
site-recovery 1.0.0
ssh 2.0.6

Dependencies:
msal 1.34.0b1
azure-mgmt-resource 23.3.0

Python location 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\CLI2\python.exe'
Config directory 'C:\Users\HalWaggoner.azure'
Extensions directory 'C:\Users\HalWaggoner.azure\cliextensions'

Python (Windows) 3.13.9 (tags/v3.13.9:8183fa5, Oct 14 2025, 14:09:13) [MSC v.1944 64 bit (AMD64)]

Legal docs and information: aka.ms/AzureCliLegal

Your CLI is up-to-date.

az bicep version

Bicep CLI version 0.39.26 (1e90b06e40)

Additional context

No response

[yonzhan]

Thank you for opening this issue, we will look into it.