diff --git a/bin/helpers/capabilityHelper.js b/bin/helpers/capabilityHelper.js
index a7855e03..0872f6b8 100644
--- a/bin/helpers/capabilityHelper.js
+++ b/bin/helpers/capabilityHelper.js
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ const caps = (bsConfig, zip) => {
     // Local Mode
     if (obj.local === true && bsConfig.connection_settings.local_mode) {
       obj.localMode = bsConfig.connection_settings.local_mode;
+      if (bsConfig.connection_settings.user_defined_local_mode_warning) {
+        logger.warn(Constants.userMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE_WARNING);
+      }
       logger.info(`Local testing set up in ${obj.localMode} mode.`);
     }
 
@@ -160,7 +163,9 @@ const validate = (bsConfig, args) => {
 
     // validate local args i.e --local-mode and --local-identifier
 
-    if( Utils.searchForOption('--local-identifier') && (Utils.isUndefined(args.localIdentifier) || (!Utils.isUndefined(args.localIdentifier) && !args.localIdentifier.trim()))) reject(Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER);
+    if( Utils.searchForOption('--local-identifier') && (Utils.isUndefined(args.localIdentifier) || (!Utils.isUndefined(args.localIdentifier) && !args.localIdentifier.trim()))) reject(Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER);
+    
+    if( Utils.getLocalFlag(bsConfig.connection_settings) && (Utils.isUndefined(bsConfig["connection_settings"]["local_identifier"]) || ( !Utils.isUndefined(bsConfig["connection_settings"]["local_identifier"]) && !bsConfig["connection_settings"]["local_identifier"].trim()))) reject(Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER);
 
     if( Utils.searchForOption('--local-mode') && ( Utils.isUndefined(args.localMode) || (!Utils.isUndefined(args.localMode) && !["always-on","on-demand"].includes(args.localMode)))) reject(Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE);
 
diff --git a/bin/helpers/constants.js b/bin/helpers/constants.js
index ed9f13b9..e0a289c6 100644
--- a/bin/helpers/constants.js
+++ b/bin/helpers/constants.js
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ const userMessages = {
   CHECK_DASHBOARD_AT: "Please check the build status at: ",
   CYPRESS_VERSION_CHANGED: "Your build will run using Cypress <actualVersion> instead of Cypress <preferredVersion>. Read more about supported versions here: http://browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/supported-versions",
   LOCAL_START_FAILED: "Local Testing setup failed.",
-  LOCAL_STOP_FAILED: "Local Binary stop failed."
+  LOCAL_STOP_FAILED: "Local Binary stop failed.",
+  INVALID_LOCAL_MODE_WARNING: "Invalid value specified for local_mode. local_mode: (\"always-on\" | \"on-demand\"). For more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference"
 };
 
 const validationMessages = {
@@ -60,9 +61,10 @@ const validationMessages = {
   INVALID_DEFAULT_AUTH_PARAMS: "Your username and access key are required to run your tests on BrowserStack. Learn more at https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/authentication",
   LOCAL_NOT_SET: "To test <baseUrlValue> on BrowserStack, you will have to set up Local testing. Read more here: https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/local-testing",
   INCORRECT_DIRECTORY_STRUCTURE: "No tests to run. Note that your Cypress tests should be in the same directory where the cypress.json exists.",
-  INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER: "When using --local-identifier, a value needs to be supplied. \n--local-identifier <String>.\nFor more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference",
+  INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER: "When using --local-identifier, a value needs to be supplied. \n--local-identifier <String>.\nFor more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference",
   INVALID_LOCAL_MODE: "When using --local-mode, a value needs to be supplied. \n--local-mode (\"always-on\" | \"on-demand\").\nFor more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference",
-  INVALID_LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE: "When using --local-config-file, a value needs to be supplied. \n--local-config-file \"path to local-config-file.yaml\".\nFor more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference"
+  INVALID_LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE: "When using --local-config-file, a value needs to be supplied. \n--local-config-file \"path to local-config-file.yaml\".\nFor more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference",
+  INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER: "Invalid value specified for local_identifier. For more info, check out https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/cli-reference"
 };
 
 const cliMessages = {
diff --git a/bin/helpers/utils.js b/bin/helpers/utils.js
index 3c70a00b..b27c8b16 100644
--- a/bin/helpers/utils.js
+++ b/bin/helpers/utils.js
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ exports.getErrorCodeFromMsg = (errMsg) => {
     case Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER:
       errorCode = 'invalid_local_identifier';
       break;
+    case Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER:
+      errorCode = 'invalid_local_identifier';
+      break;
     case Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE:
       errorCode = 'invalid_local_mode';
       break;
@@ -383,9 +386,11 @@ exports.setLocalMode = (bsConfig, args) => {
 
     if (!this.isUndefined(args.localMode) && args.localMode == 'always-on') {
       local_mode = 'always-on';
+    } else if (!localModeUndefined && !["always-on", "on-demand"].includes(bsConfig['connection_settings']['local_mode'])) {
+      bsConfig.connection_settings.user_defined_local_mode_warning = bsConfig['connection_settings']['local_mode'];
     } else if (
       !this.isUndefined(bsConfig['connection_settings']['local_mode']) &&
-      bsConfig['connection_settings']['local_mode'].toLowerCase() ===
+      String(bsConfig['connection_settings']['local_mode']).toLowerCase() ===
         'always-on'
     ) {
       local_mode = 'always-on';
@@ -611,7 +616,7 @@ exports.isJSONInvalid = (err, args) => {
     return false
   }
 
-  if( err === Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER || err === Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE ){
+  if( err === Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER || err === Constants.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE ){
     return false
   }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/bin/helpers/utils.js b/test/unit/bin/helpers/utils.js
index 505c2cc1..1cdd615a 100644
--- a/test/unit/bin/helpers/utils.js
+++ b/test/unit/bin/helpers/utils.js
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ describe('utils', () => {
           constant.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER
         )
       ).to.eq('invalid_local_identifier');
+      expect(
+        utils.getErrorCodeFromMsg(
+          constant.validationMessages.INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER
+        )
+      ).to.eq('invalid_local_identifier');
       expect(
         utils.getErrorCodeFromMsg(
           constant.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_MODE
@@ -1604,7 +1609,7 @@ describe('utils', () => {
     });
 
     it('JSON is invalid if local identifier is invalid', () =>{
-      let error = constant.validationMessages.INVALID_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER;
+      let error = constant.validationMessages.INVALID_CLI_LOCAL_IDENTIFIER;
       expect(utils.isJSONInvalid(error,{})).to.eq(false);
     });