diff --git a/start.py b/start.py
index 619b07eb..909c47d4 100644
--- a/start.py
+++ b/start.py
@@ -159,6 +159,23 @@ def migrate_gpu_lib():
     )
 
 
+def write_start_options_if_first_run(first_run, start_options):
+    # First run options
+    if first_run:
+        start_options["first_run_done"] = True
+
+        # Save start options
+        with open("start_options.json", "w") as start_file:
+            start_file.write(json.dumps(start_options))
+
+            print(
+                "Successfully wrote your start script options to "
+                "`start_options.json`. \n"
+                "If something goes wrong, editing or deleting the file "
+                "will reinstall TabbyAPI as a first-time user."
+            )
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     subprocess.run(["pip", "-V"])
 
@@ -236,21 +253,12 @@ def migrate_gpu_lib():
         subprocess.run(install_command)
         print()
 
-        if first_run:
-            start_options["first_run_done"] = True
-
-            # Save start options on first run
-            with open("start_options.json", "w") as start_file:
-                start_file.write(json.dumps(start_options))
-
-                print(
-                    "Successfully wrote your start script options to "
-                    "`start_options.json`. \n"
-                    "If something goes wrong, editing or deleting the file "
-                    "will reinstall TabbyAPI as a first-time user."
-                )
-
         if args.update_deps:
+            # If the update_deps command is run on the first_run (like building
+            # in a docker container). Then write the start_options to
+            # avoid re-running
+            write_start_options_if_first_run(first_run, start_options)
+
             print(
                 f"Dependencies updated. Please run TabbyAPI with `start.{script_ext}`. "
                 "Exiting."
@@ -262,6 +270,10 @@ def migrate_gpu_lib():
                 "inside the `update_scripts` folder."
             )
 
+    # Write the start_options to a file on the first run to save them for
+    # subsequent runs
+    write_start_options_if_first_run(first_run, start_options)
+
     # Expand the parser if it's not fully created
     if not has_full_parser:
         from common.args import init_argparser