# Disable devices in Gateway Startup Script (v8.3.0)

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/disable-devices-in-gateway-startup-script-v8-3-0/111599>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** vision\
**Created:** [October 20, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/disable-devices-in-gateway-startup-script-v8-3-0/111599 "2025-10-20T16:04:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![kcollins](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kcollins/32/19646_2.png) [@kcollins](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kcollins)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/disable-devices-in-gateway-startup-script-v8-3-0/111599/6 "2025-10-20T19:20:02Z")

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Setting the deployment mode via an environment variable is not yet supported, you've got to supply the Java system property via a JVM argument, `-Dignition.config.mode=yourdeploymentmode`. As @paul-griffith mentions, we're going to be doing additional refinements in this area. However, I've got some guidance that might be useful in the meantime.

Currently, at time of writing w/ 8.3.0, if you add the deployment mode arg explicitly to your `data/ignition.conf`, it will be within any gateway backup (GWBK) that you collect. Thus, if you restore it to a given gateway, the gateway will assume that deployment mode. This isn't going to be what you want, so we've got to define that arg in a different scope.

This is where you can use [`wrapper.java.additional_file`](https://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/doc/english/prop-java-additional-n.html#file) and [`wrapper.java.additional_file.required`](https://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/doc/english/prop-java-additional-n.html#file) to your advantage.

Below are some steps to configure the deployment mode in a way that will be excluded from the gateway backup:

1. Create a hidden folder called `data/.custom` under your Ignition installation.

2. Add the following lines to your `data/ignition.conf` (ideally, place after the other "Java Additional Parameters" section):

3. Place a file `data/.custom/jvm-args.txt` with the following contents:

You can then customize the contents of `data/.custom/jvm-args.txt` on a given Ignition Gateway to set the target deployment mode. You can also omit the file altogether to stay in the `core` deployment mode. This definition will not be collected in a gateway backup (GWBK) nor will it be disturbed by a gateway restore.

Hope this helps!

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