diff --git a/core/src/events.ts b/core/src/events.ts
index 83c0a123556..5e55795b1a0 100644
--- a/core/src/events.ts
+++ b/core/src/events.ts
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ export interface Events extends LoggerEvents {
     serviceName: string
     devMode: boolean
     hotReload: boolean
+    localMode: boolean
     force: boolean
     forceBuild: boolean
     skipDependencies: boolean
diff --git a/core/src/process.ts b/core/src/process.ts
index aff0a78e1c1..4005a9fa04c 100644
--- a/core/src/process.ts
+++ b/core/src/process.ts
@@ -276,9 +276,13 @@ export async function processModules({
           emoji = "fire"
           prefix = `Hot reload-enabled deployment`
         } else {
-          if (event.devMode) {
+          // local mode always takes precedence over dev mode
+          if (event.localMode) {
             emoji = "zap"
             prefix = `Dev-mode deployment`
+          } else if (event.devMode) {
+            emoji = "left_right_arrow"
+            prefix = `Local-mode deployment`
           } else {
             emoji = "rocket"
             prefix = "Deployment"
@@ -338,6 +342,10 @@ export interface CloudEventHandlerCommonParams {
   log: LogEntry
 }
 
+/*
+ * TODO: initialize devModeServiceNames/hotReloadServiceNames/localModeServiceNames
+ *       depending on the corresponding deployment flags. See class DeployCommand for details.
+ */
 export const cloudEventHandlers = {
   buildRequested: async (params: CloudEventHandlerCommonParams & { request: Events["buildRequested"] }) => {
     const { garden, graph, log } = params
@@ -366,14 +374,14 @@ export const cloudEventHandlers = {
         skipRuntimeDependencies: params.request.skipDependencies,
         devModeServiceNames: [],
         hotReloadServiceNames: [],
+        localModeServiceNames: [],
       })
     })
   },
   deployRequested: async (params: CloudEventHandlerCommonParams & { request: Events["deployRequested"] }) => {
     const { garden, graph, log } = params
     const { serviceName, force, forceBuild } = params.request
-
-    const deployTask = new DeployTask({
+    return new DeployTask({
       garden,
       log,
       graph,
@@ -384,8 +392,8 @@ export const cloudEventHandlers = {
       skipRuntimeDependencies: params.request.skipDependencies,
       devModeServiceNames: [],
       hotReloadServiceNames: [],
+      localModeServiceNames: [],
     })
-    return deployTask
   },
   taskRequested: async (params: CloudEventHandlerCommonParams & { request: Events["taskRequested"] }) => {
     const { garden, graph, log } = params
@@ -397,6 +405,7 @@ export const cloudEventHandlers = {
       task: graph.getTask(taskName),
       devModeServiceNames: [],
       hotReloadServiceNames: [],
+      localModeServiceNames: [],
       force,
       forceBuild,
     })
diff --git a/core/test/unit/src/enterprise/event-handlers.ts b/core/test/unit/src/enterprise/event-handlers.ts
index 37698c0677e..f888616b221 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/src/enterprise/event-handlers.ts
+++ b/core/test/unit/src/enterprise/event-handlers.ts
@@ -61,10 +61,13 @@ describe("cloudEventHandlers", () => {
           forceBuild: false,
           devMode: false,
           hotReload: false,
+          localMode: false,
           skipDependencies: true,
         },
       })
+      expect(deployTask["devModeServiceNames"]).to.eql([])
       expect(deployTask["hotReloadServiceNames"]).to.eql([])
+      expect(deployTask["localModeServiceNames"]).to.eql([])
       expect(deployTask.service.name).to.eql("service-a")
     })
 
@@ -77,10 +80,31 @@ describe("cloudEventHandlers", () => {
           forceBuild: false,
           devMode: true,
           hotReload: false,
+          localMode: false,
           skipDependencies: true,
         },
       })
       expect(deployTask["service"].name).to.eql("service-a")
+      // todo
+      // expect(deployTask["devModeServiceNames"]).to.eql(["service-a"])
+    })
+
+    it("should return a local-mode deploy task for the requested service", async () => {
+      const deployTask = await cloudEventHandlers.deployRequested({
+        ...params,
+        request: {
+          serviceName: "service-a",
+          force: false,
+          forceBuild: false,
+          devMode: false,
+          hotReload: false,
+          localMode: true,
+          skipDependencies: true,
+        },
+      })
+      expect(deployTask["service"].name).to.eql("service-a")
+      // todo
+      // expect(deployTask["localModeServiceNames"]).to.eql(["service-a"])
     })
   })