diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
index 7a3c3331a4a4..7b03c921e83e 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ export async function aztecStart(options: any, userLog: LogFn, debugLogger: Logg
   let config: ChainConfig | undefined = undefined;
 
   if (options.localNetwork) {
-    const localNetwork = extractNamespacedOptions(options, 'local-network');
-    localNetwork.testAccounts = true;
+    const localNetwork = extractNamespacedOptions(options, 'localNetwork');
     userLog(`${splash}\n${github}\n\n`);
     userLog(`Setting up Aztec local network ${packageVersion ?? 'unknown'}, please stand by...`);
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
index 057e459467bc..befe8bedf91a 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,21 @@ describe('aztec_start_options commander integration', () => {
     expect(typeof opts.port).toBe('number');
   });
 
+  it('respects TEST_ACCOUNTS env var for local network', () => {
+    process.env.TEST_ACCOUNTS = 'false';
+    const cmd = buildCommandWith(['LOCAL_NETWORK']);
+    cmd.parse(['node', 'cli']);
+    const opts = cmd.opts();
+    expect(opts['localNetwork.testAccounts']).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('defaults testAccounts to true for local network', () => {
+    const cmd = buildCommandWith(['LOCAL_NETWORK']);
+    cmd.parse(['node', 'cli']);
+    const opts = cmd.opts();
+    expect(opts['localNetwork.testAccounts']).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('parses optional boolean flag values', () => {
     const cmd = buildCommandWith(['P2P SUBSYSTEM']);
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
index 3034ceea504c..b4c85349f9cb 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ export const aztecStartOptions: { [key: string]: AztecStartOption[] } = {
       defaultValue: DefaultMnemonic,
       env: 'MNEMONIC',
     },
+    {
+      flag: '--local-network.testAccounts',
+      description: 'Deploy test accounts on local network start',
+      env: 'TEST_ACCOUNTS',
+      ...booleanConfigHelper(true),
+    },
   ],
   API: [
     {