diff --git a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
index 2317f45c2f..b2fc61865e 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
@@ -741,6 +741,10 @@ MetricsConfiguration metricsConfiguration() {
   private Optional<PermissioningConfiguration> permissioningConfiguration() throws Exception {
 
     if (!permissionsAccountsEnabled && !permissionsNodesEnabled) {
+      if (rpcHttpApis.contains(RpcApis.PERM) || rpcWsApis.contains(RpcApis.PERM)) {
+        logger.warn(
+            "Permissions are disabled. Cannot enable PERM APIs when not using Permissions.");
+      }
       return Optional.empty();
     }
 
diff --git a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
index 1586a0225e..a0f1aafeac 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.cli.NetworkName.ROPSTEN;
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.RpcApis.ETH;
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.RpcApis.NET;
+import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.RpcApis.PERM;
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.RpcApis.WEB3;
 import static tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.config.DiscoveryConfiguration.MAINNET_BOOTSTRAP_NODES;
 
@@ -947,13 +948,15 @@ public void rpcHttpEnabledPropertyMustBeUsed() {
 
   @Test
   public void rpcApisPropertyMustBeUsed() {
-    parseCommand("--rpc-http-api", "ETH,NET", "--rpc-http-enabled");
+    parseCommand("--rpc-http-api", "ETH,NET,PERM", "--rpc-http-enabled");
 
     verify(mockRunnerBuilder).jsonRpcConfiguration(jsonRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.capture());
     verify(mockRunnerBuilder).build();
+    verify(mockLogger)
+        .warn("Permissions are disabled. Cannot enable PERM APIs when not using Permissions.");
 
     assertThat(jsonRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.getValue().getRpcApis())
-        .containsExactlyInAnyOrder(ETH, NET);
+        .containsExactlyInAnyOrder(ETH, NET, PERM);
 
     assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();