diff --git a/service/remotecfg/noop.go b/service/remotecfg/noop.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..493c3b69b762
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/remotecfg/noop.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package remotecfg
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+
+	"connectrpc.com/connect"
+	agentv1 "github.com/grafana/agent-remote-config/api/gen/proto/go/agent/v1"
+)
+
+type noopClient struct{}
+
+// GetConfig returns the agent's configuration.
+func (c noopClient) GetConfig(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.GetConfigRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.GetConfigResponse], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
+
+// GetAgent returns information about the agent.
+func (c noopClient) GetAgent(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.GetAgentRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.Agent], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
+
+// ListAgents returns information about all agents.
+func (c noopClient) ListAgents(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.ListAgentsRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.Agents], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
+
+// CreateAgent registers a new agent.
+func (c noopClient) CreateAgent(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.CreateAgentRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.Agent], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
+
+// UpdateAgent updates an existing agent.
+func (c noopClient) UpdateAgent(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.UpdateAgentRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.Agent], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
+
+// DeleteAgent deletes an existing agent.
+func (c noopClient) DeleteAgent(context.Context, *connect.Request[agentv1.DeleteAgentRequest]) (*connect.Response[agentv1.DeleteAgentResponse], error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("noop client")
+}
diff --git a/service/remotecfg/remotecfg.go b/service/remotecfg/remotecfg.go
index 65ddc9624d8f..95c5bab9cddd 100644
--- a/service/remotecfg/remotecfg.go
+++ b/service/remotecfg/remotecfg.go
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ func New(opts Options) (*Service, error) {
 	}
 
 	return &Service{
-		opts:   opts,
-		ticker: time.NewTicker(math.MaxInt64),
+		opts:     opts,
+		asClient: noopClient{},
+		ticker:   time.NewTicker(math.MaxInt64),
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -257,8 +258,8 @@ func (s *Service) Update(newConfig any) error {
 		s.mut.Lock()
 		defer s.mut.Unlock()
 		s.ticker.Reset(math.MaxInt64)
-		s.asClient = nil
-		s.args.HTTPClientConfig = nil
+		s.asClient = noopClient{}
+		s.args.HTTPClientConfig = config.CloneDefaultHTTPClientConfig()
 		s.currentConfigHash = ""
 		return nil
 	}