diff --git a/docs/interface.html b/docs/interface.html
index 7d1849a..f26e54e 100644
--- a/docs/interface.html
+++ b/docs/interface.html
@@ -905,9 +905,12 @@ <h1 class="title">Module <code>keboola.component.interface</code></h1>
         Returns:
 
         &#34;&#34;&#34;
-        features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;)
+        features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;, &#39;&#39;)
         is_legacy_queue = True
-        if not features or &#39;queuev2&#39; in features:
+        # checking for runId which should always be present when run in the platform to determine
+        # if the project is running locally
+        # so the user does not have to set the feature gate
+        if &#39;queuev2&#39; in features or (not features and not os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_RUNID&#39;)):
             is_legacy_queue = False
         return is_legacy_queue
 
@@ -2113,9 +2116,12 @@ <h2 id="args">Args</h2>
         Returns:
 
         &#34;&#34;&#34;
-        features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;)
+        features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;, &#39;&#39;)
         is_legacy_queue = True
-        if not features or &#39;queuev2&#39; in features:
+        # checking for runId which should always be present when run in the platform to determine
+        # if the project is running locally
+        # so the user does not have to set the feature gate
+        if &#39;queuev2&#39; in features or (not features and not os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_RUNID&#39;)):
             is_legacy_queue = False
         return is_legacy_queue
 
@@ -2445,9 +2451,12 @@ <h3>Instance variables</h3>
     Returns:
 
     &#34;&#34;&#34;
-    features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;)
+    features = os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES&#39;, &#39;&#39;)
     is_legacy_queue = True
-    if not features or &#39;queuev2&#39; in features:
+    # checking for runId which should always be present when run in the platform to determine
+    # if the project is running locally
+    # so the user does not have to set the feature gate
+    if &#39;queuev2&#39; in features or (not features and not os.environ.get(&#39;KBC_RUNID&#39;)):
         is_legacy_queue = False
     return is_legacy_queue</code></pre>
 </details>
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 6edf316..132daf6 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name="keboola.component",
-    version="1.4.4",
+    version="1.5.0",
     author="Keboola KDS Team",
     project_urls=project_urls,
     setup_requires=['pytest-runner', 'flake8'],
diff --git a/src/keboola/component/interface.py b/src/keboola/component/interface.py
index 49b5fc2..3e45c4b 100644
--- a/src/keboola/component/interface.py
+++ b/src/keboola/component/interface.py
@@ -877,9 +877,12 @@ def is_legacy_queue(self) -> bool:
         Returns:
 
         """
-        features = os.environ.get('KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES')
+        features = os.environ.get('KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES', '')
         is_legacy_queue = True
-        if not features or 'queuev2' in features:
+        # checking for runId which should always be present when run in the platform to determine
+        # if the project is running locally
+        # so the user does not have to set the feature gate
+        if 'queuev2' in features or (not features and not os.environ.get('KBC_RUNID')):
             is_legacy_queue = False
         return is_legacy_queue
 
diff --git a/tests/test_interface.py b/tests/test_interface.py
index cb06170..58541b0 100644
--- a/tests/test_interface.py
+++ b/tests/test_interface.py
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ def setUp(self):
                             'data_examples', 'data1')
         os.environ["KBC_DATADIR"] = path
 
+        # default to queue2
+        os.environ['KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES'] = 'queuev2'
+
     def test_all_env_variables_initialized(self):
+        env_copy = os.environ.copy()
         # set all variables
         os.environ['KBC_RUNID'] = 'KBC_RUNID'
         os.environ['KBC_PROJECTID'] = 'KBC_PROJECTID'
@@ -42,6 +46,9 @@ def test_all_env_variables_initialized(self):
         self.assertEqual(ci.environment_variables.logger_addr, 'KBC_LOGGER_ADDR')
         self.assertEqual(ci.environment_variables.logger_port, 'KBC_LOGGER_PORT')
 
+        # return back environ
+        os.environ = env_copy
+
     def test_empty_required_params_pass(self):
         c = CommonInterface
         return True
@@ -110,10 +117,12 @@ def test_get_files_in_dir(self):
         self.assertEqual(tables_out, ci.tables_in_path)
 
     def test_legacy_queue(self):
+        env_copy = os.environ.copy()
         os.environ['KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES'] = ''
+        os.environ['KBC_RUNID'] = '3333'
         ci = CommonInterface()
         # with no env default to v2
-        self.assertEqual(False, ci.is_legacy_queue)
+        self.assertEqual(True, ci.is_legacy_queue)
 
         # otherwise check for queuev2
         os.environ['KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES'] = 'queuev2;someoterfeature'
@@ -123,6 +132,14 @@ def test_legacy_queue(self):
         os.environ['KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES'] = 'feature1;someoterfeature'
         self.assertEqual(True, ci.is_legacy_queue)
 
+        # If run locally the env variables do not need to be set
+        run_id = os.environ.pop('KBC_RUNID', '')
+        os.environ['KBC_PROJECT_FEATURE_GATES'] = ''
+        self.assertEqual(False, ci.is_legacy_queue)
+
+        # reset back
+        os.environ = env_copy
+
     def test_create_and_write_table_manifest_deprecated(self):
         ci = CommonInterface()
         # create table def