diff --git a/internal/cloud/backend.go b/internal/cloud/backend.go
index b034d74963..0ad4328a48 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/backend.go
+++ b/internal/cloud/backend.go
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func (b *Cloud) Configure(obj cty.Value) tfdiags.Diagnostics {
 	// Get the token from the CLI Config File in the credentials section
 	// if no token was set in the configuration
 	if token == "" {
-		token, err = cliConfigToken(hostname, b.services)
+		token, err = CliConfigToken(hostname, b.services)
 		if err != nil {
 			diags = diags.Append(tfdiags.AttributeValue(
 				tfdiags.Error,
@@ -593,10 +593,10 @@ func resolveCloudConfig(obj cty.Value) (cloudConfig, tfdiags.Diagnostics) {
 	return ret, diags
 }
 
-// cliConfigToken returns the token for this host as configured in the credentials
+// CliConfigToken returns the token for this host as configured in the credentials
 // section of the CLI Config File. If no token was configured, an empty
 // string will be returned instead.
-func cliConfigToken(hostname svchost.Hostname, services *disco.Disco) (string, error) {
+func CliConfigToken(hostname svchost.Hostname, services *disco.Disco) (string, error) {
 	creds, err := services.CredentialsForHost(hostname)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("[WARN] Failed to get credentials for %s: %s (ignoring)", hostname.ForDisplay(), err)
diff --git a/internal/cloud/test.go b/internal/cloud/test.go
index 3f97be0f8d..96703b777f 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/test.go
+++ b/internal/cloud/test.go
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ func (runner *TestSuiteRunner) client(addr tfaddr.Module, id tfe.RegistryModuleI
 			return nil, nil, diags
 		}
 
-		token, err := cliConfigToken(addr.Package.Host, runner.Services)
+		token, err := CliConfigToken(addr.Package.Host, runner.Services)
 		if err != nil {
 			diags = diags.Append(tfdiags.AttributeValue(
 				tfdiags.Error,
diff --git a/internal/command/stacks.go b/internal/command/stacks.go
index 47e3b84788..5e7af5de5b 100644
--- a/internal/command/stacks.go
+++ b/internal/command/stacks.go
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ const (
 	// The stacks plugin release download service that the BinaryManager relies
 	// on to fetch the plugin.
 	stackspluginServiceID = "stacksplugin.v1"
+
+	defaultHostname = "app.terraform.io"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -165,20 +167,8 @@ func (c *StacksCommand) discoverAndConfigure() tfdiags.Diagnostics {
 
 	displayHostname := os.Getenv("TF_STACKS_HOSTNAME")
 	if strings.TrimSpace(displayHostname) == "" {
-		return diags.Append(tfdiags.Sourceless(
-			tfdiags.Error,
-			"TF_STACKS_HOSTNAME is not set",
-			"TF_STACKS_HOSTNAME must be set to the hostname of the HCP Terraform instance",
-		))
-	}
-
-	token := os.Getenv("TF_STACKS_TOKEN")
-	if strings.TrimSpace(token) == "" {
-		return diags.Append(tfdiags.Sourceless(
-			tfdiags.Error,
-			"TF_STACKS_TOKEN is not set",
-			"TF_STACKS_TOKEN must be set to the token of the HCP Terraform instance",
-		))
+		log.Printf("[TRACE] stacksplugin hostname not set, falling back to %q", defaultHostname)
+		displayHostname = defaultHostname
 	}
 
 	hostname, err := svchost.ForComparison(displayHostname)
@@ -208,6 +198,20 @@ func (c *StacksCommand) discoverAndConfigure() tfdiags.Diagnostics {
 	// The discovery request worked, so cache the full results.
 	cb.ServicesHost = host
 
+	token := os.Getenv("TF_STACKS_TOKEN")
+	if strings.TrimSpace(token) == "" {
+		// attempt to read from the credentials file
+		token, err = cloud.CliConfigToken(hostname, cb.Services())
+		if err != nil {
+			// some commands like stacks init and validate could be run without a token so allow it without errors
+			diags.Append(tfdiags.Sourceless(
+				tfdiags.Warning,
+				"Could not read token from credentials file, proceeding without a token",
+				err.Error(),
+			))
+		}
+	}
+
 	// re-use the cached service discovery info for this TFC
 	// instance to find our plugin service and TFE API URLs:
 	pluginService, err := cb.ServicesHost.ServiceURL(stackspluginServiceID)
@@ -244,6 +248,7 @@ func (c *StacksCommand) discoverAndConfigure() tfdiags.Diagnostics {
 		OrganizationName:    orgName,
 		ProjectName:         projectName,
 		StackName:           stackName,
+		TerminalWidth:       c.Meta.Streams.Stdout.Columns(),
 	}
 
 	return diags
@@ -346,6 +351,7 @@ type StacksPluginConfig struct {
 	OrganizationName    string `md:"tfc-organization"`
 	ProjectName         string `md:"tfc-project"`
 	StackName           string `md:"tfc-stack"`
+	TerminalWidth       int    `md:"terminal-width"`
 }
 
 func (c StacksPluginConfig) ToMetadata() metadata.MD {
@@ -358,6 +364,7 @@ func (c StacksPluginConfig) ToMetadata() metadata.MD {
 		"tfc-organization", c.OrganizationName,
 		"tfc-project", c.ProjectName,
 		"tfc-stack", c.StackName,
+		"terminal-width", fmt.Sprintf("%d", c.TerminalWidth),
 	)
 	return md
 }
diff --git a/internal/command/stacks_test.go b/internal/command/stacks_test.go
index 39047376a7..f8b2019712 100644
--- a/internal/command/stacks_test.go
+++ b/internal/command/stacks_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ func TestStacksPluginConfig_ToMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 		"tfc-project", "example-project",
 		"tfc-stack", "example-stack",
 		"terraform-binary-path", "",
+		"terminal-width", "78",
 	)
 	inputStruct := StacksPluginConfig{
 		Address:             "https://app.staging.terraform.io",
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ func TestStacksPluginConfig_ToMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 		ProjectName:         "example-project",
 		StackName:           "example-stack",
 		TerraformBinaryPath: "",
+		TerminalWidth:       78,
 	}
 	result := inputStruct.ToMetadata()
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, result) {