diff --git a/cli/main.rs b/cli/main.rs
index f0ac9ce72c..1ca87345e3 100644
--- a/cli/main.rs
+++ b/cli/main.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use args::TaskFlags;
+use deno_core::anyhow;
 use deno_core::anyhow::Context;
 use deno_core::error::AnyError;
 use deno_core::futures::FutureExt;
@@ -1046,7 +1047,11 @@ async fn initialize_tunnel(
       .to_deploy_config()?
       .expect("auth to be called");
 
-    (deploy_config.org, deploy_config.app)
+    let Some(app) = deploy_config.app else {
+      anyhow::bail!("The 'app' key is missing from the 'deploy' configuration");
+    };
+
+    (deploy_config.org, app)
   };
 
   let Some(addr) = tokio::net::lookup_host(&host).await?.next() else {
diff --git a/libs/config/deno_json/mod.rs b/libs/config/deno_json/mod.rs
index a6206c84f0..d16c2a1939 100644
--- a/libs/config/deno_json/mod.rs
+++ b/libs/config/deno_json/mod.rs
@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ impl NodeModulesDirMode {
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
 pub struct DeployConfig {
   pub org: String,
-  pub app: String,
+  pub app: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]