diff --git a/changelog.d/3-bug-fixes/brig-rabbitmq b/changelog.d/3-bug-fixes/brig-rabbitmq
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b9260a68236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/3-bug-fixes/brig-rabbitmq
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+brig now only requires rabbitmq if federation is enabled
diff --git a/charts/brig/templates/configmap.yaml b/charts/brig/templates/configmap.yaml
index d602d049d13..7c732c7b590 100644
--- a/charts/brig/templates/configmap.yaml
+++ b/charts/brig/templates/configmap.yaml
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ data:
     federatorInternal:
       host: federator
       port: 8080
-    {{- end }}
 
     {{- with .rabbitmq }}
     rabbitmq:
@@ -93,6 +92,7 @@ data:
       caCert: /etc/wire/brig/rabbitmq-ca/{{ .tlsCaSecretRef.key }}
       {{- end }}
     {{- end }}
+    {{- end }}
 
     {{- with .aws }}
     aws:
diff --git a/services/brig/src/Brig/App.hs b/services/brig/src/Brig/App.hs
index 9785f028432..eb7b06457e2 100644
--- a/services/brig/src/Brig/App.hs
+++ b/services/brig/src/Brig/App.hs
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ module Brig.App
     rabbitmqChannelLens,
     disabledVersionsLens,
     enableSFTFederationLens,
-    readChannel,
 
     -- * App Monad
     AppT (..),
@@ -141,31 +140,23 @@ import OpenSSL.EVP.Digest (Digest, getDigestByName)
 import OpenSSL.Session (SSLOption (..))
 import OpenSSL.Session qualified as SSL
 import Polysemy
-import Polysemy.Error (throw)
-import Polysemy.Error qualified as Polysemy
 import Polysemy.Fail
 import Polysemy.Final
 import Polysemy.Input (Input, input)
-import Polysemy.TinyLog (TinyLog)
-import Polysemy.TinyLog qualified as P
 import Prometheus
 import Ssl.Util
 import System.FSNotify qualified as FS
 import System.Logger.Class hiding (Settings, settings)
 import System.Logger.Class qualified as LC
 import System.Logger.Extended qualified as Log
-import System.Timeout (timeout)
 import Util.Options
 import Util.SuffixNamer
-import Wire.API.Error (errorToWai)
-import Wire.API.Error.Brig qualified as E
 import Wire.API.Federation.Error (federationNotImplemented)
 import Wire.API.Locale (Locale)
 import Wire.API.Routes.Version
 import Wire.API.User.Identity
 import Wire.EmailSending.SMTP qualified as SMTP
 import Wire.EmailSubsystem.Template (TemplateBranding, forLocale)
-import Wire.Error (HttpError (StdError))
 import Wire.SessionStore
 import Wire.SessionStore.Cassandra
 import Wire.UserKeyStore
@@ -211,15 +202,23 @@ data Env = Env
     indexEnv :: IndexEnv,
     randomPrekeyLocalLock :: Maybe (MVar ()),
     keyPackageLocalLock :: MVar (),
-    rabbitmqChannel :: MVar Q.Channel,
+    rabbitmqChannel :: Maybe (MVar Q.Channel),
     disabledVersions :: Set Version,
     enableSFTFederation :: Maybe Bool
   }
 
 makeLensesWith (lensRules & lensField .~ suffixNamer) ''Env
 
+validateOptions :: Opts -> IO ()
+validateOptions o =
+  case (o.federatorInternal, o.rabbitmq) of
+    (Nothing, Just _) -> error "RabbitMQ config is specified and federator is not, please specify both or none"
+    (Just _, Nothing) -> error "Federator is specified and RabbitMQ config is not, please specify both or none"
+    _ -> pure ()
+
 newEnv :: Opts -> IO Env
 newEnv opts = do
+  validateOptions opts
   Just md5 <- getDigestByName "MD5"
   Just sha256 <- getDigestByName "SHA256"
   Just sha512 <- getDigestByName "SHA512"
@@ -262,7 +261,7 @@ newEnv opts = do
       Log.info lgr $ Log.msg (Log.val "randomPrekeys: not active; using dynamoDB instead.")
       pure Nothing
   kpLock <- newMVar ()
-  rabbitChan <- Q.mkRabbitMqChannelMVar lgr opts.rabbitmq
+  rabbitChan <- traverse (Q.mkRabbitMqChannelMVar lgr) opts.rabbitmq
   let allDisabledVersions = foldMap expandVersionExp opts.settings.disabledAPIVersions
   idxEnv <- mkIndexEnv opts.elasticsearch lgr (Opt.galley opts) mgr
   pure $!
@@ -629,21 +628,6 @@ instance (MonadIndexIO (AppT r)) => MonadIndexIO (ExceptT err (AppT r)) where
 instance HasRequestId (AppT r) where
   getRequestId = asks (.requestId)
 
-readChannel ::
-  ( Member (Embed IO) r,
-    Member (Polysemy.Error HttpError) r,
-    Member TinyLog r
-  ) =>
-  MVar Q.Channel ->
-  Sem r Q.Channel
-readChannel chanMVar = do
-  mChan <- liftIO $ timeout 1_000_000 $ readMVar chanMVar
-  maybe onNothing pure mChan
-  where
-    onNothing = do
-      P.err $ Log.msg @Text "failed to connect to RabbitMQ"
-      throw $ StdError $ errorToWai @'E.NotificationQueueConnectionError
-
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Ad hoc interpreters
 
diff --git a/services/brig/src/Brig/CanonicalInterpreter.hs b/services/brig/src/Brig/CanonicalInterpreter.hs
index 4fc05542a1d..7b2ceeb4b37 100644
--- a/services/brig/src/Brig/CanonicalInterpreter.hs
+++ b/services/brig/src/Brig/CanonicalInterpreter.hs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import Control.Monad.Catch (throwM)
 import Data.Qualified (Local, toLocalUnsafe)
 import Data.Time.Clock (UTCTime, getCurrentTime)
 import Imports
-import Network.AMQP
 import Polysemy
 import Polysemy.Async
 import Polysemy.Conc
@@ -116,7 +115,6 @@ type BrigLowerLevelEffects =
      DeleteQueue,
      Wire.Events.Events,
      NotificationSubsystem,
-     Input Channel,
      Error UserSubsystemError,
      Error TeamInvitationSubsystemError,
      Error AuthenticationSubsystemError,
@@ -278,7 +276,6 @@ runBrigToIO e (AppT ma) = do
               . mapError authenticationSubsystemErrorToHttpError
               . mapError teamInvitationErrorToHttpError
               . mapError userSubsystemErrorToHttpError
-              . runInputSem (readChannel e.rabbitmqChannel)
               . runNotificationSubsystemGundeck (defaultNotificationSubsystemConfig e.requestId)
               . runEvents
               . runDeleteQueue e.internalEvents
diff --git a/services/brig/src/Brig/Federation/Client.hs b/services/brig/src/Brig/Federation/Client.hs
index 637644928cf..15fc53f5bdf 100644
--- a/services/brig/src/Brig/Federation/Client.hs
+++ b/services/brig/src/Brig/Federation/Client.hs
@@ -141,9 +141,17 @@ notifyUserDeleted self remotes = do
   let remoteConnections = tUnqualified remotes
   let notif = UserDeletedConnectionsNotification (tUnqualified self) remoteConnections
       remoteDomain = tDomain remotes
-  chanVar <- asks (.rabbitmqChannel)
-  enqueueNotification (tDomain self) remoteDomain Q.Persistent chanVar $
-    fedQueueClient @'OnUserDeletedConnectionsTag notif
+
+  asks (.rabbitmqChannel) >>= \case
+    Just chanVar -> do
+      enqueueNotification (tDomain self) remoteDomain Q.Persistent chanVar $
+        fedQueueClient @'OnUserDeletedConnectionsTag notif
+    Nothing ->
+      Log.err $
+        Log.msg ("Federation error while notifying remote backends of a user deletion." :: ByteString)
+          . Log.field "user_id" (show self)
+          . Log.field "domain" (domainText remoteDomain)
+          . Log.field "error" (show FederationNotConfigured)
 
 -- | Enqueues notifications in RabbitMQ. Retries 3 times with a delay of 1s.
 enqueueNotification :: (MonadIO m, MonadMask m, Log.MonadLogger m, MonadReader Env m) => Domain -> Domain -> Q.DeliveryMode -> MVar Q.Channel -> FedQueueClient c () -> m ()
diff --git a/services/brig/src/Brig/Options.hs b/services/brig/src/Brig/Options.hs
index 1a81618e8b6..04da3707661 100644
--- a/services/brig/src/Brig/Options.hs
+++ b/services/brig/src/Brig/Options.hs
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ data Opts = Opts
     -- | SFT Federation
     multiSFT :: !(Maybe Bool),
     -- | RabbitMQ settings, required when federation is enabled.
-    rabbitmq :: !AmqpEndpoint,
+    rabbitmq :: !(Maybe AmqpEndpoint),
     -- | AWS settings
     aws :: !AWSOpts,
     -- | Enable Random Prekey Strategy
diff --git a/services/brig/test/integration/API/User/Handles.hs b/services/brig/test/integration/API/User/Handles.hs
index 283c5abaa4b..c505e9b824a 100644
--- a/services/brig/test/integration/API/User/Handles.hs
+++ b/services/brig/test/integration/API/User/Handles.hs
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ testGetUserByQualifiedHandleFailure brig = do
 
 testGetUserByQualifiedHandleNoFederation :: Opt.Opts -> Brig -> Http ()
 testGetUserByQualifiedHandleNoFederation opt brig = do
-  let newOpts = opt {Opt.federatorInternal = Nothing}
+  let newOpts = opt {Opt.federatorInternal = Nothing, Opt.rabbitmq = Nothing}
   someUser <- randomUser brig
   withSettingsOverrides newOpts $
     get