diff --git a/src/fprime_gds/executables/cli.py b/src/fprime_gds/executables/cli.py
index 20c7e528..40f76b5d 100644
--- a/src/fprime_gds/executables/cli.py
+++ b/src/fprime_gds/executables/cli.py
@@ -31,21 +31,8 @@
 from fprime_gds.executables.utils import find_app, find_dict, get_artifacts_root
 from fprime_gds.plugin.definitions import PluginType
 from fprime_gds.plugin.system import Plugins
+from fprime_gds.common.zmq_transport import ZmqClient
 
-# Optional import: ZeroMQ. Requires package: pyzmq
-try:
-    import zmq
-
-    from fprime_gds.common.zmq_transport import ZmqClient
-except ImportError:
-    zmq = None
-    ZmqClient = None
-
-# Optional import: Serial Adapter. Requires package: SerialAdapter
-try:
-    from fprime_gds.common.communication.adapters.uart import SerialAdapter
-except ImportError:
-    SerialAdapter = None
 
 GUIS = ["none", "html"]
 
@@ -197,7 +184,6 @@ def parse_args(
             sys.exit(-1)
         except Exception as exc:
             print(f"[ERROR] {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
-            raise
             sys.exit(-1)
         return args_ns, parser
 
@@ -578,40 +564,37 @@ class MiddleWareParser(ParserBase):
 
     def get_arguments(self) -> Dict[Tuple[str, ...], Dict[str, Any]]:
         """Return arguments necessary to run a and connect to the GDS middleware"""
-        # May use ZMQ transportation layer if zmq package is available
-        zmq_arguments = {}
-        if zmq is not None and ZmqClient is not None:
-            zmq_arguments = {
-                ("--zmq",): {
-                    "dest": "zmq",
-                    "action": "store_true",
-                    "help": "Switch to using the ZMQ transportation layer",
-                    "default": False,
-                },
-                ("--zmq-transport",): {
-                    "dest": "zmq_transport",
-                    "nargs": 2,
-                    "help": "Pair of URls used with --zmq to setup ZeroMQ transportation [default: %(default)s]",
-                    "default": [
-                        "ipc:///tmp/fprime-server-in",
-                        "ipc:///tmp/fprime-server-out",
-                    ],
-                    "metavar": ("serverInUrl", "serverOutUrl"),
-                },
-            }
+        zmq_arguments = {
+            ("--no-zmq",): {
+                "dest": "zmq",
+                "action": "store_false",
+                "help": "Disable ZMQ transportation layer, falling back to TCP socket server.",
+                "default": True,
+            },
+            ("--zmq-transport",): {
+                "dest": "zmq_transport",
+                "nargs": 2,
+                "help": "Pair of URls used with --zmq to setup ZeroMQ transportation [default: %(default)s]",
+                "default": [
+                    "ipc:///tmp/fprime-server-in",
+                    "ipc:///tmp/fprime-server-out",
+                ],
+                "metavar": ("serverInUrl", "serverOutUrl"),
+            },
+        }
         tts_arguments = {
             ("--tts-port",): {
                 "dest": "tts_port",
                 "action": "store",
                 "type": int,
-                "help": "Set the threaded TCP socket server port [default: %(default)s]",
+                "help": "Set the threaded TCP socket server port when ZMQ is not used [default: %(default)s]",
                 "default": 50050,
             },
             ("--tts-addr",): {
                 "dest": "tts_addr",
                 "action": "store",
                 "type": str,
-                "help": "Set the threaded TCP socket server address [default: %(default)s]",
+                "help": "Set the threaded TCP socket server address when ZMQ is not used [default: %(default)s]",
                 "default": "0.0.0.0",
             },
         }
@@ -626,7 +609,6 @@ def handle_arguments(self, args, **kwargs):
         :return: args namespace
         """
         is_client = kwargs.get("client", False)
-        args.zmq = getattr(args, "zmq", False)
         tts_connection_address = (
             args.tts_addr.replace("0.0.0.0", "127.0.0.1")
             if is_client
diff --git a/src/fprime_gds/executables/comm.py b/src/fprime_gds/executables/comm.py
index 94cf6e1d..04b49f9f 100644
--- a/src/fprime_gds/executables/comm.py
+++ b/src/fprime_gds/executables/comm.py
@@ -19,20 +19,16 @@
 import logging
 import signal
 import sys
-
 from pathlib import Path
 
 # Required adapters built on standard tools
-try:
-    from fprime_gds.common.zmq_transport import ZmqGround
-except ImportError:
-    ZmqGround = None
 import fprime_gds.common.communication.adapters.base
 import fprime_gds.common.communication.adapters.ip
 import fprime_gds.common.communication.ground
 import fprime_gds.common.logger
 import fprime_gds.executables.cli
 from fprime_gds.common.communication.updown import Downlinker, Uplinker
+from fprime_gds.common.zmq_transport import ZmqGround
 
 # Uses non-standard PIP package pyserial, so test the waters before getting a hard-import crash
 try:
@@ -68,11 +64,8 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(-1)
 
     # Create the handling components for either side of this script, adapter for hardware, and ground for the GDS side
-    if args.zmq and ZmqGround is None:
-        print("[ERROR] ZeroMQ is not available. Install pyzmq.", file=sys.stderr)
-        sys.exit(-1)
-    elif args.zmq:
-        ground = fprime_gds.common.zmq_transport.ZmqGround(args.zmq_transport)
+    if args.zmq:
+        ground = ZmqGround(args.zmq_transport)
     else:
         ground = fprime_gds.common.communication.ground.TCPGround(
             args.tts_addr, args.tts_port
diff --git a/test/fprime_gds/test_plugins.py b/test/fprime_gds/test_plugins.py
index 8221d73b..7ba14354 100644
--- a/test/fprime_gds/test_plugins.py
+++ b/test/fprime_gds/test_plugins.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def start_up(request):
     extra_plugins, flags = request.param
 
     command_arguments = ["fprime-gds", "-n", "--dictionary", str( parent_path / "sample" / "dictionary.xml"),
-                         "--zmq", "--zmq-transport", "ipc:///tmp/fprime-test-in",  "ipc:///tmp/fprime-test-out",
+                         "--zmq-transport", "ipc:///tmp/fprime-test-in",  "ipc:///tmp/fprime-test-out",
                          "-g", "none"] + flags
 
     # Update the environment to side-load python