diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d524b8f3..6ea1f85a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<!--- Uncomment the following headers as-needed for unreleased features
+<!--- Copy, paste, and uncomment the following headers as-needed for unreleased features
 # Unreleased
 ## New features
 ## Fixes
@@ -7,6 +7,19 @@
 ## Contributors:
 --->
 
+# Unreleased
+
+<!--- ## New features --->
+
+## Fixes
+- Only raise error within `union_relations` for `build`/`run` sub-commands ([#606](https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/issues/606), [#607](https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/pull/607))
+
+<!--- ## Quality of life --->
+<!--- ## Under the hood --->
+
+## Contributors:
+- [@jeremyyeo](https://github.com/jeremyyeo) (#606)
+
 # dbt-utils v0.8.5
 ## 🚨 deduplicate ([#542](https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/pull/542), [#548](https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-utils/pull/548))
 
diff --git a/macros/sql/union.sql b/macros/sql/union.sql
index 0d4ebccb..cb960484 100644
--- a/macros/sql/union.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/union.sql
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@
     {%- endfor -%}
 
     {%- set ordered_column_names = column_superset.keys() -%}
+    {%- set dbt_command = flags.WHICH -%}
 
+
+    {% if dbt_command in ['run', 'build'] %}
     {% if (include | length > 0 or exclude | length > 0) and not column_superset.keys() %}
         {%- set relations_string -%}
             {%- for relation in relations -%}
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@
 
         {{ exceptions.raise_compiler_error(error_message) }}
     {%- endif -%}
+    {%- endif -%}
 
     {%- for relation in relations %}