diff --git a/internal/pkg/cli/env_init.go b/internal/pkg/cli/env_init.go
index 78f6394c193..f317c41cafc 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/cli/env_init.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/cli/env_init.go
@@ -159,23 +159,23 @@ type initEnvOpts struct {
 	initEnvVars
 
 	// Interfaces to interact with dependencies.
-	sessProvider     sessionProvider
-	store            store
-	envDeployer      deployer
-	appDeployer      deployer
-	identity         identityService
-	envIdentity      identityService
-	ec2Client        ec2Client
-	appVersionGetter versionGetter
-	iam              roleManager
-	cfn              stackExistChecker
-	prog             progress
-	prompt           prompter
-	selVPC           ec2Selector
-	selCreds         func() (credsSelector, error)
-	selApp           appSelector
-	appCFN           appResourcesGetter
-	manifestWriter   environmentManifestWriter
+	sessProvider        sessionProvider
+	store               store
+	envDeployer         deployer
+	appDeployer         deployer
+	identity            identityService
+	envIdentity         identityService
+	ec2Client           ec2Client
+	newAppVersionGetter func(appName string) (versionGetter, error)
+	iam                 roleManager
+	cfn                 stackExistChecker
+	prog                progress
+	prompt              prompter
+	selVPC              ec2Selector
+	selCreds            func() (credsSelector, error)
+	selApp              appSelector
+	appCFN              appResourcesGetter
+	manifestWriter      environmentManifestWriter
 
 	sess *session.Session // Session pointing to environment's AWS account and region.
 
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@ func newInitEnvOpts(vars initEnvVars) (*initEnvOpts, error) {
 				Prompt:  prompt.New(),
 			}, nil
 		},
+		newAppVersionGetter: func(appName string) (versionGetter, error) {
+			return describe.NewAppDescriber(appName)
+		},
 		selApp:         selector.NewAppEnvSelector(prompt.New(), store),
 		appCFN:         deploycfn.New(defaultSession, deploycfn.WithProgressTracker(os.Stderr)),
 		manifestWriter: ws,
@@ -269,7 +272,11 @@ func (o *initEnvOpts) Execute() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if !o.allowAppDowngrade {
-		if err := validateAppVersion(o.appVersionGetter, o.appName, o.templateVersion); err != nil {
+		versionGetter, err := o.newAppVersionGetter(o.appName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := validateAppVersion(versionGetter, o.appName, o.templateVersion); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -354,13 +361,6 @@ func (o *initEnvOpts) initRuntimeClients() error {
 	if o.iam == nil {
 		o.iam = iam.New(o.sess)
 	}
-	if o.appVersionGetter == nil {
-		appDescriber, err := describe.NewAppDescriber(o.appName)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		o.appVersionGetter = appDescriber
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/cli/env_init_test.go b/internal/pkg/cli/env_init_test.go
index 5401c05677a..34b4812d19e 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/cli/env_init_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/cli/env_init_test.go
@@ -1283,19 +1283,21 @@ func TestInitEnvOpts_Execute(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 					allowAppDowngrade: tc.allowDowngrade,
 				},
-				store:            m.store,
-				envDeployer:      m.deployer,
-				appDeployer:      m.deployer,
-				identity:         m.identity,
-				envIdentity:      m.identity,
-				iam:              m.iam,
-				cfn:              m.cfn,
-				prog:             m.progress,
-				sess:             sess,
-				appCFN:           m.appCFN,
-				appVersionGetter: m.appVersionGetter,
-				manifestWriter:   m.manifestWriter,
-				templateVersion:  mockCurrVersion,
+				store:       m.store,
+				envDeployer: m.deployer,
+				appDeployer: m.deployer,
+				identity:    m.identity,
+				envIdentity: m.identity,
+				iam:         m.iam,
+				cfn:         m.cfn,
+				prog:        m.progress,
+				sess:        sess,
+				appCFN:      m.appCFN,
+				newAppVersionGetter: func(appName string) (versionGetter, error) {
+					return m.appVersionGetter, nil
+				},
+				manifestWriter:  m.manifestWriter,
+				templateVersion: mockCurrVersion,
 			}
 
 			// WHEN
diff --git a/internal/pkg/cli/init.go b/internal/pkg/cli/init.go
index ceb53ed0a9a..c6e44e0b7f1 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/cli/init.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/cli/init.go
@@ -114,10 +114,6 @@ func newInitOpts(vars initVars) (*initOpts, error) {
 	id := identity.New(defaultSess)
 	deployer := cloudformation.New(defaultSess, cloudformation.WithProgressTracker(os.Stderr))
 	iamClient := iam.New(defaultSess)
-	appVersionGetter, err := describe.NewAppDescriber(vars.appName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	initAppCmd := &initAppOpts{
 		initAppVars: initAppVars{
 			name: vars.appName,
@@ -141,24 +137,24 @@ func newInitOpts(vars initVars) (*initOpts, error) {
 	}
 	initEnvCmd := &initEnvOpts{
 		initEnvVars: initEnvVars{
-			appName:      vars.appName,
 			name:         defaultEnvironmentName,
 			isProduction: false,
 		},
-		store:            configStore,
-		appDeployer:      deployer,
-		prog:             spin,
-		prompt:           prompt,
-		identity:         id,
-		appVersionGetter: appVersionGetter,
-		appCFN:           cloudformation.New(defaultSess, cloudformation.WithProgressTracker(os.Stderr)),
-		sess:             defaultSess,
-		templateVersion:  version.LatestTemplateVersion(),
+		store:       configStore,
+		appDeployer: deployer,
+		prog:        spin,
+		prompt:      prompt,
+		identity:    id,
+		newAppVersionGetter: func(appName string) (versionGetter, error) {
+			return describe.NewAppDescriber(appName)
+		},
+		appCFN:          cloudformation.New(defaultSess, cloudformation.WithProgressTracker(os.Stderr)),
+		sess:            defaultSess,
+		templateVersion: version.LatestTemplateVersion(),
 	}
 	deployEnvCmd := &deployEnvOpts{
 		deployEnvVars: deployEnvVars{
-			appName: vars.appName,
-			name:    defaultEnvironmentName,
+			name: defaultEnvironmentName,
 		},
 		store:           configStore,
 		sessionProvider: sessProvider,
@@ -178,7 +174,6 @@ func newInitOpts(vars initVars) (*initOpts, error) {
 		deployWkldVars: deployWkldVars{
 			envName:  defaultEnvironmentName,
 			imageTag: vars.imageTag,
-			appName:  vars.appName,
 		},
 
 		store:           configStore,
@@ -197,7 +192,6 @@ func newInitOpts(vars initVars) (*initOpts, error) {
 		deployWkldVars: deployWkldVars{
 			envName:  defaultEnvironmentName,
 			imageTag: vars.imageTag,
-			appName:  vars.appName,
 		},
 		store:           configStore,
 		newInterpolator: newManifestInterpolator,