diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
index 19c381e5c1a9..179bc19287d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
           echo '127.0.0.1 postgres' | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
           echo '127.0.0.1 mysql'    | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
       - run: make install controller cli $(go env GOPATH)/bin/goreman PROFILE=${{matrix.profile}} E2E_EXECUTOR=${{matrix.containerRuntimeExecutor}} AUTH_MODE=client STATIC_FILES=false LOG_LEVEL=info
-      - run: make start PROFILE=${{matrix.profile}} E2E_EXECUTOR=${{matrix.containerRuntimeExecutor}} AUTH_MODE=client STATIC_FILES=false LOG_LEVEL=info UI=false > /tmp/log/argo-e2e/argo.log 2>&1 &
+      - run: make start PROFILE=${{matrix.profile}} E2E_EXECUTOR=${{matrix.containerRuntimeExecutor}} AUTH_MODE=client STATIC_FILES=false LOG_LEVEL=info SERVER=${{matrix.profile == 'test-api'}} > /tmp/log/argo-e2e/argo.log 2>&1 &
       - run: make wait
         timeout-minutes: 4
       - run: make ${{matrix.test}} E2E_TIMEOUT=1m STATIC_FILES=false
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ee66b19e9d62..58a12da2c592 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ STATIC_FILES          ?= $(shell [ $(DEV_BRANCH) = true ] && echo false || echo
 endif
 
 UI                    ?= false
+# start the Argo Server
+API                   ?= $(UI)
 GOTEST                ?= go test -v
 PROFILE               ?= minimal
 # by keeping this short we speed up the tests
@@ -423,8 +425,12 @@ $(GOPATH)/bin/goreman:
 
 .PHONY: start
 ifeq ($(RUN_MODE),local)
+ifeq ($(API),true)
 start: install controller cli $(GOPATH)/bin/goreman
 else
+start: install controller $(GOPATH)/bin/goreman
+endif
+else
 start: install
 endif
 	@echo "starting STATIC_FILES=$(STATIC_FILES) (DEV_BRANCH=$(DEV_BRANCH), GIT_BRANCH=$(GIT_BRANCH)), AUTH_MODE=$(AUTH_MODE), RUN_MODE=$(RUN_MODE), MANAGED_NAMESPACE=$(MANAGED_NAMESPACE)"
@@ -437,7 +443,7 @@ endif
 	grep '127.0.0.1[[:blank:]]*mysql' /etc/hosts
 	./hack/port-forward.sh
 ifeq ($(RUN_MODE),local)
-	env DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME=$(DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME) SECURE=$(SECURE) ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS=$(ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS) LOG_LEVEL=$(LOG_LEVEL) UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=$(UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG) IMAGE_NAMESPACE=$(IMAGE_NAMESPACE) VERSION=$(VERSION) AUTH_MODE=$(AUTH_MODE) NAMESPACED=$(NAMESPACED) NAMESPACE=$(KUBE_NAMESPACE) MANAGED_NAMESPACE=$(MANAGED_NAMESPACE) UI=$(UI) $(GOPATH)/bin/goreman -set-ports=false -logtime=false start $(shell if [ -z $GREP_LOGS ]; then echo; else echo "| grep \"$(GREP_LOGS)\""; fi)
+	env DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME=$(DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME) SECURE=$(SECURE) ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS=$(ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS) LOG_LEVEL=$(LOG_LEVEL) UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=$(UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG) IMAGE_NAMESPACE=$(IMAGE_NAMESPACE) VERSION=$(VERSION) AUTH_MODE=$(AUTH_MODE) NAMESPACED=$(NAMESPACED) NAMESPACE=$(KUBE_NAMESPACE) MANAGED_NAMESPACE=$(MANAGED_NAMESPACE) UI=$(UI) API=$(API) $(GOPATH)/bin/goreman -set-ports=false -logtime=false start $(shell if [ -z $GREP_LOGS ]; then echo; else echo "| grep \"$(GREP_LOGS)\""; fi)
 endif
 
 $(GOPATH)/bin/stern:
diff --git a/Procfile b/Procfile
index 4a552479581c..65d60086ea14 100644
--- a/Procfile
+++ b/Procfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 controller: ./hack/free-port.sh 9090 && DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME=${DEFAULT_REQUEUE_TIME} LEADER_ELECTION_IDENTITY=local ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS=${ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS} OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS_TTL=30s WORKFLOW_GC_PERIOD=30s UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=${UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG} ARCHIVED_WORKFLOW_GC_PERIOD=30s ./dist/workflow-controller --executor-image ${IMAGE_NAMESPACE}/argoexec:${VERSION} --namespaced=${NAMESPACED} --namespace ${NAMESPACE} --managed-namespace=${MANAGED_NAMESPACE} --loglevel ${LOG_LEVEL}
-argo-server: ./hack/free-port.sh 2746 && UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=${UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG} ./dist/argo --loglevel ${LOG_LEVEL} server --namespaced=${NAMESPACED} --namespace ${NAMESPACE} --auth-mode ${AUTH_MODE} --secure=$SECURE --x-frame-options=SAMEORIGIN
+argo-server: ./hack/free-port.sh 2746 && [ "$API" = "true" ] && UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=${UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG} ./dist/argo --loglevel ${LOG_LEVEL} server --namespaced=${NAMESPACED} --namespace ${NAMESPACE} --auth-mode ${AUTH_MODE} --secure=$SECURE --x-frame-options=SAMEORIGIN
 ui: [ "$UI" = "true" ] && ./hack/free-port.sh 8080 && yarn --cwd ui install && yarn --cwd ui start
 logs: make logs
\ No newline at end of file