diff --git a/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh b/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
index 94e440e265..1a0246eb85 100644
--- a/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
+++ b/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ rm -rf $file_name
 
 ${ARM_PATCH}
 
-echo "export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1"
-export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1
-
 os_id=$(awk -F= '/^ID/{print $2}' /etc/os-release)
 if [[ "$os_id" =~ ^ubuntu.* ]]; then
     echo "Installing dependencies"
diff --git a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
index 958eb81768..6da70d1f9b 100644
--- a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
+++ b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
@@ -50,12 +50,13 @@ echo "Delete GH Runner token from AWS SSM"
 aws ssm delete-parameter --name "$environment"-"$instance_id" --region "$region"
 
 if [ -z "$run_as" ]; then
-    echo "No user specified, using default ec2-user account"
-    run_as="ec2-user"
+  echo "No user specified, using default ec2-user account"
+  run_as="ec2-user"
 fi
 
 if [[ "$run_as" == "root" ]]; then
-    export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1
+  echo "run_as is set to root - export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1"
+  export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1
 fi
 
 echo "Configure GH Runner as user $run_as"