diff --git a/submitit/__init__.py b/submitit/__init__.py
index 3051ac6..6c3cde9 100644
--- a/submitit/__init__.py
+++ b/submitit/__init__.py
@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@
 from .slurm.slurm import SlurmExecutor as SlurmExecutor
 from .slurm.slurm import SlurmJob as SlurmJob
 
-__version__ = "1.4.5"
+__version__ = "1.4.6"
diff --git a/submitit/helpers.py b/submitit/helpers.py
index c94f0d1..a3292d7 100644
--- a/submitit/helpers.py
+++ b/submitit/helpers.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 from .core.utils import CommandFunction as CommandFunction  # noqa
 from .core.utils import DelayedSubmission as DelayedSubmission  # noqa
 from .core.utils import environment_variables as environment_variables  # noqa
+from .slurm.slurm import SlurmJobEnvironment
 
 
 class Checkpointable:
@@ -331,7 +332,14 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         >>> torch.distributed.init_process_group(backend="nccl")
         >>> print(f"master: {dist_env.master_addr}:{dist_env.master_port}")
         """
-        self._job_env = JobEnvironment()
+        try:
+            self._job_env = JobEnvironment()
+        except RuntimeError as e:
+            if SlurmJobEnvironment._env["job_id"] in os.environ:
+                # identified a slurm env without submitit, so let's use it
+                self._job_env = SlurmJobEnvironment()
+            else:
+                raise e
         self.master_addr = self._job_env.hostnames[0]
         self.master_port = self._get_master_port()
         self.rank = self._job_env.global_rank
@@ -339,6 +347,11 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.local_rank = self._job_env.local_rank
         self.local_world_size = self._job_env.num_tasks // self._job_env.num_nodes
 
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        cls = self.__class__.__name__
+        env = sorted(f"{name}={val}" for name, val in self.__dict__.items() if not name.startswith("_"))
+        return f"{cls}<{','.join(env)}>"
+
     def _get_master_port(self) -> int:
         # MIN_MASTER_PORT, MAX_MASTER_PORT = (1023, 65535)
         MIN_MASTER_PORT, MAX_MASTER_PORT = (20000, 60000)
diff --git a/submitit/test_helpers.py b/submitit/test_helpers.py
index c23722e..b8127d9 100644
--- a/submitit/test_helpers.py
+++ b/submitit/test_helpers.py
@@ -136,6 +136,15 @@ def _get_env() -> tp.Dict[str, str]:
     return {x: y for x, y in os.environ.items() if x.startswith(("SLURM_", "SUBMITIT_"))}
 
 
+def test_torch_distrib_env() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        env = helpers.TorchDistributedEnvironment()
+    with utils.environment_variables(SLURM_JOB_ID=12):
+        env = helpers.TorchDistributedEnvironment()
+    # port is deduced from job id
+    assert env.master_port == 58811
+
+
 def test_clean_env() -> None:
     base = _get_env()
     with utils.environment_variables(SLURM_BLUBLU=12, SUBMITIT_BLUBLU=12):