diff --git a/examples/default/main.tf b/examples/default/main.tf
index de89b063d0..faef591d4a 100644
--- a/examples/default/main.tf
+++ b/examples/default/main.tf
@@ -87,4 +87,7 @@ module "runners" {
   # enable_workflow_job_events_queue  = true
 
   enable_user_data_debug_logging_runner = true
+
+  # prefix GitHub runners with the environment name
+  runner_name_prefix = local.environment
 }
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.test.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.test.ts
index 895ac24bff..fd234789e6 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.test.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.test.ts
@@ -477,7 +477,6 @@ function createRunnerConfig(runnerConfig: RunnerConfig): RunnerInputParameters {
     },
     subnets: ['subnet-123', 'subnet-456'],
     amiIdSsmParameterName: runnerConfig.amiIdSsmParameterName,
-    runnerNamePrefix: RUNNER_NAME_PREFIX,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.ts
index bb6240aa6b..32902ff978 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/aws/runners.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ export interface RunnerInputParameters {
     instanceAllocationStrategy: EC2.SpotAllocationStrategy;
   };
   numberOfRunners?: number;
-  runnerNamePrefix: string;
   amiIdSsmParameterName?: string;
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/pool/pool.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/pool/pool.ts
index c362924c88..0d07b6001b 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/pool/pool.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/pool/pool.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ export async function adjust(event: PoolEvent): Promise<void> {
   const instanceAllocationStrategy = process.env.INSTANCE_ALLOCATION_STRATEGY || 'lowest-price'; // same as AWS default
   const runnerOwner = process.env.RUNNER_OWNER;
   const amiIdSsmParameterName = process.env.AMI_ID_SSM_PARAMETER_NAME;
-  const runnerNamePrefix = process.env.RUNNER_NAME_PREFIX || '';
 
   let ghesApiUrl = '';
   if (ghesBaseUrl) {
@@ -112,7 +111,6 @@ export async function adjust(event: PoolEvent): Promise<void> {
         subnets,
         numberOfRunners: topUp,
         amiIdSsmParameterName,
-        runnerNamePrefix,
       },
       githubInstallationClient,
     );
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.test.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.test.ts
index e5a8d9d2ac..73c3eed508 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.test.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.test.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ const EXPECTED_RUNNER_PARAMS: RunnerInputParameters = {
   },
   ssmTokenPath: '/github-action-runners/default/runners/config',
   subnets: ['subnet-123'],
-  runnerNamePrefix: 'unit-test',
 };
 let expectedRunnerParams: RunnerInputParameters;
 
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
index 1f10bf742f..9dc7809f6a 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ interface CreateEC2RunnerConfig {
   ec2instanceCriteria: RunnerInputParameters['ec2instanceCriteria'];
   numberOfRunners?: number;
   amiIdSsmParameterName?: string;
-  runnerNamePrefix: string;
 }
 
 function generateRunnerServiceConfig(githubRunnerConfig: CreateGitHubRunnerConfig, token: string) {
@@ -157,7 +156,6 @@ export async function scaleUp(eventSource: string, payload: ActionRequestMessage
   const instanceAllocationStrategy = process.env.INSTANCE_ALLOCATION_STRATEGY || 'lowest-price'; // same as AWS default
   const enableJobQueuedCheck = yn(process.env.ENABLE_JOB_QUEUED_CHECK, { default: true });
   const amiIdSsmParameterName = process.env.AMI_ID_SSM_PARAMETER_NAME;
-  const runnerNamePrefix = process.env.RUNNER_NAME_PREFIX || '';
 
   if (ephemeralEnabled && payload.eventType !== 'workflow_job') {
     logger.warn(
@@ -223,7 +221,6 @@ export async function scaleUp(eventSource: string, payload: ActionRequestMessage
           ssmTokenPath,
           subnets,
           amiIdSsmParameterName,
-          runnerNamePrefix,
         },
         githubInstallationClient,
       );
diff --git a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
index 2e35a3c5c5..9d1cae27f9 100644
--- a/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
+++ b/modules/runners/templates/start-runner.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ echo "Retrieved INSTANCE_ID from AWS API ($instance_id)"
 %{ if metadata_tags == "enabled" }
 environment=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/tags/instance/ghr:environment)
 ssm_config_path=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/tags/instance/ghr:ssm_config_path)
+runner_name_prefix=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/tags/instance/ghr:runner_name_prefix) || true
 
 %{ else }
 tags=$(aws ec2 describe-tags --region "$region" --filters "Name=resource-id,Values=$instance_id")
@@ -23,11 +24,12 @@ echo "Retrieved tags from AWS API ($tags)"
 
 environment=$(echo "$tags" | jq -r '.Tags[]  | select(.Key == "ghr:environment") | .Value')
 ssm_config_path=$(echo "$tags" | jq -r '.Tags[]  | select(.Key == "ghr:ssm_config_path") | .Value')
+runner_name_prefix=$(echo "$tags" | jq -r '.Tags[]  | select(.Key == "ghr:runner_name_prefix") | .Value')
+
 %{ endif }
 
 echo "Retrieved ghr:environment tag - ($environment)"
 echo "Retrieved ghr:ssm_config_path tag - ($ssm_config_path)"
-runner_name_prefix=$(curl -f -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $token" -v http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/tags/instance/ghr:runner_name_prefix) || true
 echo "Retrieved ghr:runner_name_prefix tag - ($runner_name_prefix)"
 
 parameters=$(aws ssm get-parameters-by-path --path "$ssm_config_path" --region "$region" --query "Parameters[*].{Name:Name,Value:Value}")