diff --git a/cmd/controller/run.go b/cmd/controller/run.go
index 0e184573..2bd4aed9 100644
--- a/cmd/controller/run.go
+++ b/cmd/controller/run.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bombsimon/logrusr/v4"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/healthz"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
@@ -206,6 +207,8 @@ func runController(
 			log.Fatalf("failed to determine if running on GKE: %v", err)
 		}
 
+		log.Infof("Running on GKE is: %v", isGKE)
+
 		if isGKE {
 			csrMgr := csr.NewApprovalManager(log, clientset)
 			if err := csrMgr.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -321,9 +324,14 @@ func (e *logContextError) Unwrap() error {
 }
 
 func runningOnGKE(clientset *kubernetes.Clientset, cfg config.Config) (isGKE bool, err error) {
+	// When running locally, there is no node.
+	if cfg.SelfPod.Node == "" {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
 	err = waitext.Retry(context.Background(), waitext.DefaultExponentialBackoff(), 3, func(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 		node, err := clientset.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(ctx, cfg.SelfPod.Node, metav1.GetOptions{})
-		if err != nil {
+		if err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 			return true, fmt.Errorf("getting node: %w", err)
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index faebbc10..f3c3043c 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ func Get() Config {
 	}
 
 	if cfg.SelfPod.Namespace == "" {
-		required("LEADER_ELECTION_NAMESPACE")
+		// LEADER_ELECTION_NAMESPACE exists for backwards compatibility.
+		// But we use the namespace even without leader election so it's required.
+		required("self_pod.namespace or LEADER_ELECTION_NAMESPACE")
 	}
 
 	if cfg.LeaderElection.Enabled {