diff --git a/modules/runners/main.tf b/modules/runners/main.tf
index 80eed67c..76bf3a70 100644
--- a/modules/runners/main.tf
+++ b/modules/runners/main.tf
@@ -81,6 +81,15 @@ resource "aws_launch_template" "runner" {
       http_endpoint               = metadata_options.value.http_endpoint
       http_tokens                 = metadata_options.value.http_tokens
       http_put_response_hop_limit = metadata_options.value.http_put_response_hop_limit
+      instance_metadata_tags      = "enabled"
+    }
+  }
+
+  dynamic "metadata_options" {
+    for_each = var.metadata_options != null ? [] : [0]
+
+    content {
+      instance_metadata_tags = "enabled"
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
index 6d7994a9..9dedb6a8 100644
--- a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
+++ b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ echo "Retrieved REGION from AWS API ($region)"
 instance_id=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/instance-id)
 echo "Retrieved INSTANCE_ID from AWS API ($instance_id)"
 
-tags=$(aws ec2 describe-tags --region "$region" --filters "Name=resource-id,Values=$instance_id")
-echo "Retrieved tags from AWS API ($tags)"
-
-environment=$(echo "$tags" | jq -r '.Tags[]  | select(.Key == "ghr:environment") | .Value')
+environment=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/tags/instance/ghr:environment)
 echo "Retrieved ghr:environment tag - ($environment)"
 
 parameters=$(aws ssm get-parameters-by-path --path "/$environment/runner" --region "$region" --query "Parameters[*].{Name:Name,Value:Value}")