diff --git a/arbnode/node.go b/arbnode/node.go
index c12b3a71ce..b0ee6ea6dd 100644
--- a/arbnode/node.go
+++ b/arbnode/node.go
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ func deployRollupCreator(ctx context.Context, l1Reader *headerreader.HeaderReade
 	return rollupCreator, rollupCreatorAddress, validatorUtils, validatorWalletCreator, nil
 }
 
-func DeployOnL1(ctx context.Context, l1client arbutil.L1Interface, deployAuth *bind.TransactOpts, sequencer common.Address, authorizeValidators uint64, wasmModuleRoot common.Hash, chainId *big.Int, readerConfig headerreader.Config, machineConfig validator.NitroMachineConfig) (*RollupAddresses, error) {
+func DeployOnL1(ctx context.Context, l1client arbutil.L1Interface, deployAuth *bind.TransactOpts, sequencer, rollupOwner common.Address, authorizeValidators uint64, wasmModuleRoot common.Hash, chainId *big.Int, readerConfig headerreader.Config, machineConfig validator.NitroMachineConfig) (*RollupAddresses, error) {
 	l1Reader := headerreader.New(l1client, readerConfig)
 	l1Reader.Start(ctx)
 	defer l1Reader.StopAndWait()
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func DeployOnL1(ctx context.Context, l1client arbutil.L1Interface, deployAuth *b
 			StakeToken:                     common.Address{},
 			BaseStake:                      big.NewInt(params.Ether),
 			WasmModuleRoot:                 wasmModuleRoot,
-			Owner:                          deployAuth.From,
+			Owner:                          rollupOwner,
 			LoserStakeEscrow:               common.Address{},
 			ChainId:                        chainId,
 			SequencerInboxMaxTimeVariation: seqInboxParams,
@@ -353,10 +353,14 @@ func DeployOnL1(ctx context.Context, l1client arbutil.L1Interface, deployAuth *b
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting sequencer inbox: %w", err)
 	}
-	tx, err = sequencerInbox.SetIsBatchPoster(deployAuth, sequencer, true)
-	err = andTxSucceeded(ctx, l1Reader, tx, err)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error setting is batch poster: %w", err)
+
+	// if a zero sequencer address is specified, don't authorize any sequencers
+	if sequencer != (common.Address{}) {
+		tx, err = sequencerInbox.SetIsBatchPoster(deployAuth, sequencer, true)
+		err = andTxSucceeded(ctx, l1Reader, tx, err)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error setting is batch poster: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	var allowValidators []bool
diff --git a/arbnode/sequencer.go b/arbnode/sequencer.go
index dd42231e7d..89edd22935 100644
--- a/arbnode/sequencer.go
+++ b/arbnode/sequencer.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ package arbnode
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/util/headerreader"
 	"math"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/util/headerreader"
+
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
diff --git a/cmd/deploy/deploy.go b/cmd/deploy/deploy.go
index ce88322a78..adfee47f48 100644
--- a/cmd/deploy/deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/deploy/deploy.go
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ func main() {
 	l1conn := flag.String("l1conn", "", "l1 connection")
 	l1keystore := flag.String("l1keystore", "", "l1 private key store")
 	deployAccount := flag.String("l1DeployAccount", "", "l1 seq account to use (default is first account in keystore)")
+	ownerAddress := flag.String("ownerAddress", "", "the rollup owner's address")
+	sequencerAddress := flag.String("sequencerAddress", "", "the sequencer's address")
 	wasmmoduleroot := flag.String("wasmmoduleroot", "", "WASM module root hash")
 	wasmrootpath := flag.String("wasmrootpath", "", "path to machine folders")
 	l1passphrase := flag.String("l1passphrase", "passphrase", "l1 private key file passphrase")
@@ -66,6 +68,13 @@ func main() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	if !common.IsHexAddress(*sequencerAddress) {
+		panic("please specify a valid sequencer address")
+	}
+	if !common.IsHexAddress(*ownerAddress) {
+		panic("please specify a valid rollup owner address")
+	}
+
 	machineConfig := validator.DefaultNitroMachineConfig
 	machineConfig.RootPath = *wasmrootpath
 
@@ -73,8 +82,16 @@ func main() {
 	headerReaderConfig.TxTimeout = *txTimeout
 
 	deployPtr, err := arbnode.DeployOnL1(
-		ctx, l1client, l1TransactionOpts, l1TransactionOpts.From, *authorizevalidators,
-		common.HexToHash(*wasmmoduleroot), l2ChainId, headerReaderConfig, machineConfig,
+		ctx,
+		l1client,
+		l1TransactionOpts,
+		common.HexToAddress(*sequencerAddress),
+		common.HexToAddress(*ownerAddress),
+		*authorizevalidators,
+		common.HexToHash(*wasmmoduleroot),
+		l2ChainId,
+		headerReaderConfig,
+		machineConfig,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		flag.Usage()
diff --git a/system_tests/common_test.go b/system_tests/common_test.go
index c2a360052d..a1c500e630 100644
--- a/system_tests/common_test.go
+++ b/system_tests/common_test.go
@@ -160,7 +160,18 @@ func DeployOnTestL1(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, l1info info, l1client cli
 		l1info.PrepareTx("Faucet", "User", 30000, big.NewInt(9223372036854775807), nil)})
 
 	l1TransactionOpts := l1info.GetDefaultTransactOpts("RollupOwner", ctx)
-	addresses, err := arbnode.DeployOnL1(ctx, l1client, &l1TransactionOpts, l1info.GetAddress("Sequencer"), 0, common.Hash{}, chainId, headerreader.TestConfig, validator.DefaultNitroMachineConfig)
+	addresses, err := arbnode.DeployOnL1(
+		ctx,
+		l1client,
+		&l1TransactionOpts,
+		l1info.GetAddress("Sequencer"),
+		l1info.GetAddress("RollupOwner"),
+		0,
+		common.Hash{},
+		chainId,
+		headerreader.TestConfig,
+		validator.DefaultNitroMachineConfig,
+	)
 	Require(t, err)
 	l1info.SetContract("Bridge", addresses.Bridge)
 	l1info.SetContract("SequencerInbox", addresses.SequencerInbox)