diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/build_deploy.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/build_deploy.go
index f88142ed094..0539449b663 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/build_deploy.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/build_deploy.go
@@ -105,12 +105,8 @@ func (r *SkaffoldRunner) DeployAndLog(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, artifa
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if r.runCtx.Opts.PortForward.Enabled {
-		if err := forwarderManager.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-			logrus.Warnln("Error starting port forwarding:", err)
-		} else {
-			color.Yellow.Fprintln(out, "Press Ctrl+C to exit")
-		}
+	if err := forwarderManager.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		logrus.Warnln("Error starting port forwarding:", err)
 	}
 
 	// Start printing the logs after deploy is finished
@@ -119,6 +115,7 @@ func (r *SkaffoldRunner) DeployAndLog(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, artifa
 	}
 
 	if r.runCtx.Opts.Tail || r.runCtx.Opts.PortForward.Enabled {
+		color.Yellow.Fprintln(out, "Press Ctrl+C to exit")
 		<-ctx.Done()
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/dev.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/dev.go
index 86f758361c3..2d8a722a8b9 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/dev.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/dev.go
@@ -238,6 +238,9 @@ func (r *SkaffoldRunner) Dev(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, artifacts []*la
 	if err := logger.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("starting logger: %w", err)
 	}
+
+	color.Yellow.Fprintln(out, "Press Ctrl+C to exit")
+
 	event.DevLoopComplete(0)
 	return r.listener.WatchForChanges(ctx, out, func() error {
 		return r.doDev(ctx, out, logger, forwarderManager)