diff --git a/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/LinuxIdeDistribution.kt b/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/LinuxIdeDistribution.kt
index e25eae9fdd71..67af55eac3d4 100644
--- a/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/LinuxIdeDistribution.kt
+++ b/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/LinuxIdeDistribution.kt
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ class LinuxIdeDistribution : IdeDistribution() {
       XVFB_TOOL_NAME
     }
 
-    fun linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog: Path, commandEnv: Map<String, String> = emptyMap()): List<String> {
+    fun linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog: Path, vmOptions: VMOptions): List<String> {
       return when {
-        System.getenv("DISPLAY") != null || commandEnv["DISPLAY"] != null -> listOf()
+        System.getenv("DISPLAY") != null || vmOptions.environmentVariables["DISPLAY"] != null || vmOptions.hasHeadlessMode() -> listOf()
         else ->
           //hint https://gist.github.com/tullmann/2d8d38444c5e81a41b6d
           listOf(
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class LinuxIdeDistribution : IdeDistribution() {
         return object : InstalledBackedIDEStartConfig(patchedVMOptionsFile, vmOptions) {
           override val errorDiagnosticFiles = listOf(xvfbRunLog)
           override val workDir = appHome
-          override val commandLine: List<String> = linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog, vmOptions.environmentVariables) + executablePath.toAbsolutePath().toString()
+          override val commandLine: List<String> = linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog, vmOptions) + executablePath.toAbsolutePath().toString()
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/installer/IdeFromCodeInstaller.kt b/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/installer/IdeFromCodeInstaller.kt
index d3282d8d778d..a7c023e7264b 100644
--- a/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/installer/IdeFromCodeInstaller.kt
+++ b/tools/intellij.tools.ide.starter/src/com/intellij/ide/starter/ide/installer/IdeFromCodeInstaller.kt
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ class IdeFromCodeInstaller(private val useInstallationCache: Boolean = true) : I
           val xvfbRunLog = LinuxIdeDistribution.Companion.createXvfbRunLog(logsDir)
 
           override val commandLine: List<String> = when {
-            SystemInfoRt.isLinux -> LinuxIdeDistribution.Companion.linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog, commandEnv = finalVMOptions.environmentVariables) + commandArgs
+            SystemInfoRt.isLinux -> LinuxIdeDistribution.Companion.linuxCommandLine(xvfbRunLog, vmOptions = finalVMOptions) + commandArgs
             else -> commandArgs
           }