diff --git a/tasks/generate-external-ip-db-vars/task b/tasks/generate-external-ip-db-vars/task
index f287ecbd..a52824e4 100755
--- a/tasks/generate-external-ip-db-vars/task
+++ b/tasks/generate-external-ip-db-vars/task
@@ -9,13 +9,18 @@ cd bbl-state/$BBL_STATE_DIR
   set +x
 
   echo "Grabbing public ips"
-  echo "Outputting public ips to ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-public-ip-vars.yml"
-  bbl outputs | grep public_ip > ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-public-ip-vars.yml
+  PUBLIC_IP_OUTPUT=$(bbl outputs | grep public_ip || true)
+  if [[ -n "${PUBLIC_IP_OUTPUT}" ]]; then
+    echo "Outputting public ips ${PUBLIC_IP_OUTPUT} to ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-public-ip-vars.yml"
+    echo "${PUBLIC_IP_OUTPUT}" > "${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-public-ip-vars.yml"
+  else
+    echo "No public_ip outputs found; skipping write to ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-public-ip-vars.yml"
+  fi
 
   echo "Grabbing DB HOST"
   DB_HOST=$(bbl outputs | grep db_host | awk '{print $2}')
 
-  echo "Outputting db host to ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-db-host-vars.yml"
+  echo "Outputting db host ${DB_HOST} to ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-db-host-vars.yml"
   rm -f ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-db-host-vars.yml
   for key in {cc,uaa,bbs,routing_api,policy_server,silk_controller,locket,credhub}; do
     echo "external_${key}_database_address: ${DB_HOST}" >> ${VARIABLE_DIR}/external-db-host-vars.yml;