diff --git a/DATA/common/gen_topo_helper_functions.sh b/DATA/common/gen_topo_helper_functions.sh
index 0ce33047b..4b0abb550 100755
--- a/DATA/common/gen_topo_helper_functions.sh
+++ b/DATA/common/gen_topo_helper_functions.sh
@@ -252,15 +252,18 @@ add_W() # Add binarry to workflow command USAGE: add_W [BINARY] [COMMAND_LINE_OP
   WORKFLOW+=$WFADD
 }
 
-if [[ "${GEN_TOPO_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE:-}" == "ALICE_STAGING" ]]; then
-  GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER=ali-staging.cern.ch
-else
-  GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER=alio2-cr1-hv-con01.cern.ch
+if [[ ${EPNSYNCMODE:-0} == 1 && "${WORKFLOW_PARAMETERS:-}" =~ (^|,)"QC"(,|$) ]]; then
+  if [[ "${GEN_TOPO_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE:-}" == "ALICE_STAGING" ]]; then
+    GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER=ali-staging.cern.ch
+  else
+    GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER=alio2-cr1-hv-con01.cern.ch
+  fi
+  GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER=`curl -s "http://${GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER}:8500/v1/kv/o2/runtime/aliecs/vars/apricot_endpoint?raw"`
 fi
-GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER=`curl -s "http://${GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER}:8500/v1/kv/o2/runtime/aliecs/vars/apricot_endpoint?raw"`
 
 add_QC_from_consul()
 {
+  [[ ${EPNSYNCMODE:-0} == 1 ]] || { echo "Error fetching QC JSON $1: consul server only set for EPNSYNCMODE == 1 " 1>&2 && exit 1; }
   if [[ ! -z ${GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE:-} ]]; then
     curl -s -o $GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE "http://${GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER}:8500/v1/kv${1}?raw"
     if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
@@ -276,12 +279,13 @@ add_QC_from_consul()
 
 add_QC_from_apricot()
 {
+  [[ ${EPNSYNCMODE:-0} == 1 ]] || { echo "Error fetching QC JSON $1: apricot server only set for EPNSYNCMODE == 1 " 1>&2 && exit 1; }
   if [[ ! -z ${GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE:-} ]]; then
-	if [[ ${1} =~ "?" ]]; then
-		curl -s -o $GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${1}\&process=true"
-	else
-		curl -s -o $GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${1}?process=true"
-	fi
+    if [[ ${1} =~ "?" ]]; then
+      curl -s -o $GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${1}\&process=true"
+    else
+      curl -s -o $GEN_TOPO_QC_JSON_FILE "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${1}?process=true"
+    fi
     if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
       echo "Error fetching QC JSON $1"
       exit 1
diff --git a/DATA/production/qc-workflow.sh b/DATA/production/qc-workflow.sh
index 79cccfeb1..1bd6b5811 100755
--- a/DATA/production/qc-workflow.sh
+++ b/DATA/production/qc-workflow.sh
@@ -20,22 +20,24 @@ OUTPUT_SUFFIX=
 
 add_QC_JSON() {
   if [[ ${2} =~ ^consul://.* ]]; then
+    [[ $EPNSYNCMODE == 1 ]] ||  { echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2: consul server is used for EPNSYNCMODE == 1 only" 1>&2 && exit 1; }
     TMP_FILENAME=$FETCHTMPDIR/$1.$RANDOM.$RANDOM.json
     curl -s -o $TMP_FILENAME "http://${GEN_TOPO_QC_CONSUL_SERVER}:8500/v1/kv/${2/consul:\/\//}?raw"
     if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-      echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2"
+      echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2" 1>&2
       exit 1
     fi
   elif [[ ${2} =~ ^apricot://.* ]]; then
+    [[ $EPNSYNCMODE == 1 ]] || { echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2: apricot server is used for EPNSYNCMODE == 1 only" 1>&2 && exit 1; }
     TMP_FILENAME=$FETCHTMPDIR/$1.$RANDOM.$RANDOM.json
-	if [[ ${2} =~ "?" ]]; then
-		curl -s -o $TMP_FILENAME "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${2/apricot:\/\/o2\//}\&run_type=${RUNTYPE:-}\&beam_type=${BEAMTYPE:-}\&process=true"
-	else
-		curl -s -o $TMP_FILENAME "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${2/apricot:\/\/o2\//}?run_type=${RUNTYPE:-}\&beam_type=${BEAMTYPE:-}\&process=true"
-	fi
+	  if [[ ${2} =~ "?" ]]; then
+		  curl -s -o $TMP_FILENAME "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${2/apricot:\/\/o2\//}\&run_type=${RUNTYPE:-}\&beam_type=${BEAMTYPE:-}\&process=true"
+	  else
+		  curl -s -o $TMP_FILENAME "${GEN_TOPO_QC_APRICOT_SERVER}/${2/apricot:\/\/o2\//}?run_type=${RUNTYPE:-}\&beam_type=${BEAMTYPE:-}\&process=true"
+	  fi
     
     if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-      echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2"
+      echo "Error fetching QC JSON $2" 1>&2
       exit 1
     fi
   else