diff --git a/command/meta_backend.go b/command/meta_backend.go
index ea96e7455..31dc9b566 100644
--- a/command/meta_backend.go
+++ b/command/meta_backend.go
@@ -138,6 +138,20 @@ func (m *Meta) Backend(opts *BackendOpts) (backend.Enhanced, error) {
 	return local, nil
 }
 
+// IsLocalBackend returns true if the backend is a local backend. We use this
+// for some checks that require a remote backend.
+func (m *Meta) IsLocalBackend(b backend.Backend) bool {
+	// Is it a local backend?
+	bLocal, ok := b.(*backendlocal.Local)
+
+	// If it is, does it not have an alternate state backend?
+	if ok {
+		ok = bLocal.Backend == nil
+	}
+
+	return ok
+}
+
 // Operation initializes a new backend.Operation struct.
 //
 // This prepares the operation. After calling this, the caller is expected
diff --git a/command/push.go b/command/push.go
index f3e173ec4..7dc1567f9 100644
--- a/command/push.go
+++ b/command/push.go
@@ -71,24 +71,6 @@ func (c *PushCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	/*
-		// Verify the state is remote, we can't push without a remote state
-		s, err := c.State()
-		if err != nil {
-			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to read state: %s", err))
-			return 1
-		}
-		if !s.State().IsRemote() {
-			c.Ui.Error(
-				"Remote state is not enabled. For Atlas to run Terraform\n" +
-					"for you, remote state must be used and configured. Remote\n" +
-					"state via any backend is accepted, not just Atlas. To\n" +
-					"configure remote state, use the `terraform remote config`\n" +
-					"command.")
-			return 1
-		}
-	*/
-
 	// Check if the path is a plan
 	plan, err := c.Plan(configPath)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -125,6 +107,17 @@ func (c *PushCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
+	// We require a non-local backend
+	if c.IsLocalBackend(b) {
+		c.Ui.Error(
+			"Remote state is not enabled. For Atlas to run Terraform\n" +
+				"for you, remote state must be used and configured. Remote\n" +
+				"state via any backend is accepted, not just Atlas. To\n" +
+				"configure remote state, use the `terraform remote config`\n" +
+				"command.")
+		return 1
+	}
+
 	// We require a local backend
 	local, ok := b.(backend.Local)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/command/push_test.go b/command/push_test.go
index 94573765f..0d1f25413 100644
--- a/command/push_test.go
+++ b/command/push_test.go
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	atlas "github.com/hashicorp/atlas-go/v1"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/copy"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
@@ -662,6 +664,12 @@ func TestPush_noState(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPush_noRemoteState(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create a temporary working directory that is empty
+	td := tempDir(t)
+	copy.CopyDir(testFixturePath("push-no-remote"), td)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(td)
+	defer testChdir(t, td)()
+
 	state := &terraform.State{
 		Modules: []*terraform.ModuleState{
 			&terraform.ModuleState{
@@ -679,19 +687,32 @@ func TestPush_noRemoteState(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	statePath := testStateFile(t, state)
 
+	// Path where the archive will be "uploaded" to
+	archivePath := testTempFile(t)
+	defer os.Remove(archivePath)
+
+	client := &mockPushClient{File: archivePath}
 	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
 	c := &PushCommand{
 		Meta: Meta{
 			Ui: ui,
 		},
+		client: client,
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
+		"-vcs=false",
 		"-state", statePath,
+		td,
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %d\n\n%s", code, ui.ErrorWriter.String())
 	}
+
+	errStr := ui.ErrorWriter.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(errStr, "Remote state") {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %s", errStr)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestPush_plan(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/push-no-remote/main.tf b/command/test-fixtures/push-no-remote/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..265162636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/push-no-remote/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "foo" {}
+
+atlas {
+    name = "foo"
+}