diff --git a/runner/config/default.js b/runner/config/default.js
index 93684e8406..b2944f764a 100644
--- a/runner/config/default.js
+++ b/runner/config/default.js
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ module.exports = {
    * Failure queue
    */
   enableQueueService: false,
-  queueDatabaseUrl: "",
-  queueDatabasePassword: "",
+  // queueDatabaseUrl: "mysql://root:root@localhost:3306/queue"
   queueServicePollingInterval: "500",
 };
diff --git a/runner/config/development.json b/runner/config/development.json
index 3188e76393..be126c8611 100644
--- a/runner/config/development.json
+++ b/runner/config/development.json
@@ -2,7 +2,5 @@
   "isTest": true,
   "previewMode": true,
   "enforceCsrf": false,
-  "env": "development",
-  "enableQueueService": true,
-  "queueDatabaseUrl": "mysql://root:root@localhost:3306/queue"
+  "env": "development"
 }
diff --git a/runner/src/server/prismaClient.ts b/runner/src/server/prismaClient.ts
index f8ece3aaeb..1863e5b6c3 100644
--- a/runner/src/server/prismaClient.ts
+++ b/runner/src/server/prismaClient.ts
@@ -33,32 +33,38 @@ export const prisma: PrismaClient = new PrismaClient({
   log: logLevel,
 });
 
-prisma.$connect().catch((error) => {
-  prismaLogger.error(`Prisma Connect Error ${error.message}`);
-});
+if (config.enableQueueService) {
+  prismaLogger.info("ENABLE_QUEUE_SERVICE is true, connecting to Prisma");
+  prisma.$connect().catch((error) => {
+    prismaLogger.fatal(
+      `ENABLE_QUEUE_SERVICE is set to true, but Prisma failed to connect ${error}, exiting with status 1`
+    );
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
 
-process.on("query", (e: Prisma.QueryEvent) => {
-  if (!config.isTest) {
-    prismaLogger.info(`
+  process.on("query", (e: Prisma.QueryEvent) => {
+    if (!config.isTest) {
+      prismaLogger.info(`
       Prisma Query: ${e.query} \r\n
       Duration: ${e.duration}ms \r\n
       Params: ${e.params}
     `);
-  }
-});
+    }
+  });
 
-process.on("warn", (e) => {
-  prismaLogger.warn(e);
-});
+  process.on("warn", (e) => {
+    prismaLogger.warn(e);
+  });
 
-process.on("info", (e) => {
-  prismaLogger.info(e);
-});
+  process.on("info", (e) => {
+    prismaLogger.info(e);
+  });
 
-process.on("error", (e) => {
-  prismaLogger.error(e);
-});
+  process.on("error", (e) => {
+    prismaLogger.error(e);
+  });
 
-process.on("beforeExit", () => {
-  prismaLogger.info("Prisma is exiting");
-});
+  process.on("beforeExit", () => {
+    prismaLogger.info("Prisma is exiting");
+  });
+}
diff --git a/runner/src/server/utils/configSchema.ts b/runner/src/server/utils/configSchema.ts
index e9590e7c74..99e78b0b8b 100644
--- a/runner/src/server/utils/configSchema.ts
+++ b/runner/src/server/utils/configSchema.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,18 @@ export const configSchema = Joi.object({
       "HS512"
     )
     .default("HS512"),
+
+  enableQueueService: Joi.boolean().optional(),
+  queueDatabaseUrl: Joi.string().when("enableQueueService", {
+    is: true,
+    then: Joi.required(),
+    otherwise: Joi.optional().allow(""),
+  }),
+  queueServicePollingInterval: Joi.number().when("enableQueueService", {
+    is: true,
+    then: Joi.required(),
+    otherwise: Joi.optional(),
+  }),
 });
 
 export function buildConfig(config) {