diff --git a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/_help.py b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/_help.py
index 144dbf32ebb..f1f455134e3 100644
--- a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/_help.py
+++ b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/_help.py
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@
           text: az confcom acipolicygen --template-file "./template.json"
         - name: Input an ARM Template file to create a human-readable Confidential Container Security Policy
           text: az confcom acipolicygen --template-file "./template.json" --outraw-pretty-print
-        - name: Input an ARM Template file to save a Confidential Container Security Policy to a file
-          text: az confcom acipolicygen --template-file "./template.json" -s "./output-file.txt"
+        - name: Input an ARM Template file to save a Confidential Container Security Policy to a file as base64 encoded text
+          text: az confcom acipolicygen --template-file "./template.json" -s "./output-file.txt" --print-policy
         - name: Input an ARM Template file and use a tar file as the image source instead of the Docker daemon
           text: az confcom acipolicygen --template-file "./template.json" --tar "./image.tar"
 """
diff --git a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/custom.py b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/custom.py
index aa15771846e..3ebdaa42fb6 100644
--- a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/custom.py
+++ b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/custom.py
@@ -53,14 +53,18 @@ def acipolicygen_confcom(
             "Can only use ARM Template Parameters if ARM Template is also present"
         )
         sys.exit(1)
+    elif save_to_file and arm_template and not (print_policy_to_terminal or outraw or outraw_pretty_print):
+        logger.error("Must print policy to terminal when saving to file")
+        sys.exit(1)
 
     if print_existing_policy:
-        if not arm_template:
-            logger.error("Can only print existing policy from ARM Template")
-            sys.exit(1)
-        else:
-            print_existing_policy_from_arm_template(arm_template, arm_template_parameters)
-            sys.exit(0)
+        print_existing_policy_from_arm_template(arm_template, arm_template_parameters)
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+    if debug_mode:
+        logger.warning("WARNING: %s %s",
+                       "Debug mode must only be used for debugging purposes. ",
+                       "It should not be used for production systems.\n")
 
     tar_mapping = tar_mapping_validation(tar_mapping_location)
 
@@ -69,13 +73,7 @@ def acipolicygen_confcom(
     container_group_policies = None
 
     # warn user that input infrastructure_svn is less than the configured default value
-    if infrastructure_svn and parse_version(infrastructure_svn) < parse_version(
-        DEFAULT_REGO_FRAGMENTS[0]["minimum_svn"]
-    ):
-        logger.warning(
-            "Input Infrastructure Fragment Software Version Number is less than the default Infrastructure SVN: %s",
-            DEFAULT_REGO_FRAGMENTS[0]["minimum_svn"],
-        )
+    check_infrastructure_svn(infrastructure_svn)
 
     # telling the user what operation we're doing
     logger.warning(
@@ -122,7 +120,7 @@ def acipolicygen_confcom(
             exit_code = validate_sidecar_in_policy(policy, output_type == security_policy.OutputType.PRETTY_PRINT)
         elif diff:
             exit_code = get_diff_outputs(policy, output_type == security_policy.OutputType.PRETTY_PRINT)
-        elif arm_template and (not print_policy_to_terminal and not outraw and not outraw_pretty_print):
+        elif arm_template and not (print_policy_to_terminal or outraw or outraw_pretty_print):
             result = inject_policy_into_template(arm_template, arm_template_parameters,
                                                  policy.get_serialized_output(), count)
             if result:
@@ -134,6 +132,12 @@ def acipolicygen_confcom(
             print(f"{policy.get_serialized_output(output_type)}\n\n")
             # output to file
             if save_to_file:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "%s %s %s",
+                    "(Deprecation Warning) the --save-to-file (-s) flag is deprecated ",
+                    "and will be removed in a future release. ",
+                    "Please print to the console and redirect to a file instead."
+                )
                 policy.save_to_file(save_to_file, output_type)
 
     sys.exit(exit_code)
@@ -145,6 +149,16 @@ def update_confcom(cmd, instance, tags=None):
     return instance
 
 
+def check_infrastructure_svn(infrastructure_svn):
+    if infrastructure_svn and parse_version(infrastructure_svn) < parse_version(
+        DEFAULT_REGO_FRAGMENTS[0]["minimum_svn"]
+    ):
+        logger.warning(
+            "Input Infrastructure Fragment Software Version Number is less than the default Infrastructure SVN: %s",
+            DEFAULT_REGO_FRAGMENTS[0]["minimum_svn"],
+        )
+
+
 def validate_sidecar_in_policy(policy: security_policy.AciPolicy, outraw_pretty_print: bool):
     is_valid, output = policy.validate_sidecars()
 
diff --git a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/template_util.py b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/template_util.py
index 5db3902d7b3..7a76b6f609e 100644
--- a/src/confcom/azext_confcom/template_util.py
+++ b/src/confcom/azext_confcom/template_util.py
@@ -399,7 +399,10 @@ def replace_params_and_vars(params: dict, vars_dict: dict, attribute):
         full_param_name = next(param_name, None)
         if full_param_name:
             full_param_name = full_param_name.group(0)
-            out = attribute.replace(full_param_name, find_value_in_params_and_vars(params, vars_dict, attribute))
+            # cast to string
+            out = f"{out}"
+            out = attribute.replace(full_param_name, out)
+
     elif isinstance(attribute, list):
         out = []
         for item in attribute:
@@ -791,6 +794,8 @@ def get_container_group_name(
 
 
 def print_existing_policy_from_arm_template(arm_template_path, parameter_data_path):
+    if not arm_template_path:
+        eprint("Can only print existing policy from ARM Template")
     input_arm_json = os_util.load_json_from_file(arm_template_path)
     parameter_data = None
     if parameter_data_path: