diff --git a/src/main/java/picard/cmdline/CommandLineProgram.java b/src/main/java/picard/cmdline/CommandLineProgram.java
index c2f4e57432..eee0674771 100644
--- a/src/main/java/picard/cmdline/CommandLineProgram.java
+++ b/src/main/java/picard/cmdline/CommandLineProgram.java
@@ -241,10 +241,13 @@ public int instanceMain(final String[] argv) {
           System.setProperty("ga4gh.client_secrets", GA4GH_CLIENT_SECRETS);
         }
 
-        if (System.getProperty("google_project_requester_pays") == null && REQUESTER_PAYS_PROJECT != null) {
-            System.setProperty("google_project_requester_pays", REQUESTER_PAYS_PROJECT);
+        if (PathProvider.GCS.isAvailable){
+            if (System.getProperty("google_project_requester_pays") == null &&
+                REQUESTER_PAYS_PROJECT != null) {
+                System.setProperty("google_project_requester_pays", REQUESTER_PAYS_PROJECT);
+            }
             Log.getInstance(this.getClass()).info(
-                    String.format("Will use google project %s for gcs requests.", REQUESTER_PAYS_PROJECT));
+                    String.format("Will use google project %s for gcs requests.", System.getProperty("google_project_requester_pays")));
         }
 
         SamReaderFactory.setDefaultValidationStringency(VALIDATION_STRINGENCY);
diff --git a/src/main/java/picard/nio/GoogleStorageUtils.java b/src/main/java/picard/nio/GoogleStorageUtils.java
index af94adee53..353fbcbebf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/picard/nio/GoogleStorageUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/picard/nio/GoogleStorageUtils.java
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
 class GoogleStorageUtils {
 
     public static void initialize() {
-        // requester pays support is currently not configured
         final String google_project = System.getProperty("google_project_requester_pays");
 
         CloudStorageFileSystemProvider.setDefaultCloudStorageConfiguration(GoogleStorageUtils.getCloudStorageConfiguration(20, google_project));