diff --git a/cli/command/engine/activate.go b/cli/command/engine/activate.go
index 34751609a6..9020d72e05 100644
--- a/cli/command/engine/activate.go
+++ b/cli/command/engine/activate.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ https://hub.docker.com/ then specify the file with the '--license' flag.
 	flags.StringVar(&options.registryPrefix, "registry-prefix", clitypes.RegistryPrefix, "Override the default location where engine images are pulled")
 	flags.StringVar(&options.image, "engine-image", "", "Specify engine image")
 	flags.StringVar(&options.format, "format", "", "Pretty-print licenses using a Go template")
-	flags.BoolVar(&options.displayOnly, "display-only", false, "only display the available licenses and exit")
+	flags.BoolVar(&options.displayOnly, "display-only", false, "only display license information and exit")
 	flags.BoolVar(&options.quiet, "quiet", false, "Only display available licenses by ID")
 	flags.StringVar(&options.sockPath, "containerd", "", "override default location of containerd endpoint")
 
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ func runActivate(cli command.Cli, options activateOptions) error {
 		if license, err = getLicenses(ctx, authConfig, cli, options); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if options.displayOnly {
+			return nil
+		}
 	} else {
 		if license, err = licenseutils.LoadLocalIssuedLicense(ctx, options.licenseFile); err != nil {
 			return err