diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/start_node.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/start_node.ts
index ab26d4a3633c..a034cf3a6f5a 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/start_node.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/start_node.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import type { LogFn } from '@aztec/foundation/log';
 import { sleep } from '@aztec/foundation/sleep';
 import { ProvingJobConsumerSchema, createProvingJobBrokerClient } from '@aztec/prover-client/broker';
 import { type CliPXEOptions, type PXEConfig, allPxeConfigMappings } from '@aztec/pxe/config';
-import { AztecAddress } from '@aztec/stdlib/aztec-address';
 import { AztecNodeAdminApiSchema, AztecNodeApiSchema } from '@aztec/stdlib/interfaces/client';
 import { P2PApiSchema, ProverNodeApiSchema, type ProvingJobBroker } from '@aztec/stdlib/interfaces/server';
 import {
@@ -155,8 +154,7 @@ export async function startNode(
 
   const testAccounts = nodeConfig.testAccounts ? (await getInitialTestAccountsData()).map(a => a.address) : [];
   const sponsoredFPCAccounts = nodeConfig.sponsoredFPC ? [await getSponsoredFPCAddress()] : [];
-  const prefundAddresses = (nodeConfig.prefundAddresses ?? []).map(a => AztecAddress.fromString(a));
-  const initialFundedAccounts = testAccounts.concat(sponsoredFPCAccounts).concat(prefundAddresses);
+  const initialFundedAccounts = testAccounts.concat(sponsoredFPCAccounts);
 
   userLog(`Initial funded accounts: ${initialFundedAccounts.map(a => a.toString()).join(', ')}`);
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/ethereum/src/config.ts b/yarn-project/ethereum/src/config.ts
index 6ccee3ce7c2a..ca5f53e53254 100644
--- a/yarn-project/ethereum/src/config.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/ethereum/src/config.ts
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ export const genesisStateConfigMappings: ConfigMappingsType<GenesisStateConfig>
   },
   prefundAddresses: {
     env: 'PREFUND_ADDRESSES',
-    description: 'Comma-separated list of Aztec addresses to prefund with fee juice at genesis.',
+    description: 'Comma-separated list of Aztec addresses to prefund with fee juice at genesis (local network only).',
     parseEnv: (val: string) =>
       val
         .split(',')
diff --git a/yarn-project/node-lib/src/config/index.ts b/yarn-project/node-lib/src/config/index.ts
index e6df4c979d94..1e267e481bc6 100644
--- a/yarn-project/node-lib/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/node-lib/src/config/index.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const sharedNodeConfigMappings: ConfigMappingsType<SharedNodeConfig> = {
   },
   prefundAddresses: {
     env: 'PREFUND_ADDRESSES',
-    description: 'Comma-separated list of Aztec addresses to prefund with fee juice at genesis.',
+    description: 'Comma-separated list of Aztec addresses to prefund with fee juice at genesis (local network only).',
     parseEnv: (val: string) =>
       val
         .split(',')