diff --git a/cmd/blockchaincmd/deploy.go b/cmd/blockchaincmd/deploy.go
index 4233a0543..36faa293f 100644
--- a/cmd/blockchaincmd/deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/blockchaincmd/deploy.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ so you can take your locally tested Subnet and deploy it on Fuji or Mainnet.`,
 	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&aggregatorExtraEndpoints, "aggregator-extra-endpoints", nil, "endpoints for extra nodes that are needed in signature aggregation")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&useLocalMachine, "use-local-machine", false, "use local machine as a blockchain validator")
 	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&numBootstrapValidators, "num-bootstrap-validators", 0, "(only if --generate-node-id is true) number of bootstrap validators to set up in sovereign L1 validator)")
-	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&numLocalNodes, "num-local-nodes", 1, "number of nodes to be created on local machine")
+	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&numLocalNodes, "num-local-nodes", 0, "number of nodes to be created on local machine")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&changeOwnerAddress, "change-owner-address", "", "address that will receive change if node is no longer L1 validator")
 
 	cmd.Flags().Uint64Var(&poSMinimumStakeAmount, "pos-minimum-stake-amount", 1, "minimum stake amount")
@@ -625,6 +625,9 @@ func deployBlockchain(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 					network = models.ConvertClusterToNetwork(network)
 				}
 			}
+			if numLocalNodes > 0 {
+				useLocalMachine = true
+			}
 			// ask user if we want to use local machine if cluster is not provided
 			if network.Kind != models.Local && !useLocalMachine && clusterNameFlagValue == "" {
 				ux.Logger.PrintToUser("You can use your local machine as a bootstrap validator on the blockchain")
@@ -635,6 +638,11 @@ func deployBlockchain(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 					return err
 				}
 			}
+			// default number of local machine nodes to be 1
+			// we set it here instead of at flag level so that we don't prompt if user wants to use local machine when they set numLocalNodes flag value
+			if useLocalMachine && numLocalNodes == 0 {
+				numLocalNodes = constants.DefaultNumberOfLocalMachineNodes
+			}
 			// if no cluster provided - we create one  with fmt.Sprintf("%s-local-node", blockchainName) name
 			if useLocalMachine && clusterNameFlagValue == "" {
 				// stop local avalanchego process so that we can generate new local cluster
diff --git a/pkg/constants/constants.go b/pkg/constants/constants.go
index 4028c9d18..102b665ce 100644
--- a/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -335,16 +335,17 @@ const (
 	PluginDir = "plugins"
 	LocalDir  = "local"
 
-	MetricsNetwork               = "network"
-	MultiSig                     = "multi-sig"
-	SkipUpdateFlag               = "skip-update-check"
-	LastFileName                 = ".last_actions.json"
-	APIRole                      = "API"
-	ValidatorRole                = "Validator"
-	MonitorRole                  = "Monitor"
-	ICMRelayerRole               = "Relayer"
-	LoadTestRole                 = "LoadTest"
-	DefaultWalletCreationTimeout = 5 * time.Second
+	DefaultNumberOfLocalMachineNodes = 1
+	MetricsNetwork                   = "network"
+	MultiSig                         = "multi-sig"
+	SkipUpdateFlag                   = "skip-update-check"
+	LastFileName                     = ".last_actions.json"
+	APIRole                          = "API"
+	ValidatorRole                    = "Validator"
+	MonitorRole                      = "Monitor"
+	ICMRelayerRole                   = "Relayer"
+	LoadTestRole                     = "LoadTest"
+	DefaultWalletCreationTimeout     = 5 * time.Second
 
 	DefaultConfirmTxTimeout = 20 * time.Second
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/testcases/subnet/sov/etna/suite.go b/tests/e2e/testcases/subnet/sov/etna/suite.go
index 10e266ce4..d9f48a2df 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/testcases/subnet/sov/etna/suite.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/testcases/subnet/sov/etna/suite.go
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ func deployEtnaSubnetEtnaFlag() {
 		"deploy",
 		subnetName,
 		"--etna-devnet",
-		"--use-local-machine",
 		"--num-local-nodes=1",
 		"--ewoq",
 		"--change-owner-address",
@@ -131,7 +130,6 @@ func deployEtnaSubnetEtnaFlagConvertOnly() {
 		"deploy",
 		subnetName,
 		"--etna-devnet",
-		"--use-local-machine",
 		"--num-local-nodes=1",
 		"--convert-only",
 		"--ewoq",
diff --git a/tests/e2e/testcases/validatormanager/suite.go b/tests/e2e/testcases/validatormanager/suite.go
index 9eaa2daf4..8555cdfba 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/testcases/validatormanager/suite.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/testcases/validatormanager/suite.go
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ func createSovereignSubnet() (string, string, error) {
 		"deploy",
 		subnetName,
 		"--etna-devnet",
-		"--use-local-machine",
 		"--num-local-nodes=1",
 		"--ewoq",
 		"--convert-only",