diff --git a/compute_tools/src/bin/compute_ctl.rs b/compute_tools/src/bin/compute_ctl.rs
index 941a861257..c26492e358 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/bin/compute_ctl.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/bin/compute_ctl.rs
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let pgbin_default = String::from("postgres");
     let pgbin = matches.get_one::<String>("pgbin").unwrap_or(&pgbin_default);
 
-    let remote_ext_config = matches
-        .get_one::<String>("remote-ext-config")
-        .expect("remote-extension-config is required");
-    let remote_storage = init_remote_storage(remote_ext_config)?;
+    let remote_ext_config = matches.get_one::<String>("remote-ext-config");
+    let remote_storage = match remote_ext_config {
+        Some(x) => Some(init_remote_storage(x)?),
+        None => None,
+    };
 
     let rt = Runtime::new().unwrap();
     let copy_remote_storage = remote_storage.clone();
diff --git a/compute_tools/src/compute.rs b/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
index 3991b27196..63fafa510d 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub struct ComputeNode {
     /// `Condvar` to allow notifying waiters about state changes.
     pub state_changed: Condvar,
     ///  S3 extensions configuration variables (JSON)
-    pub remote_storage: GenericRemoteStorage,
+    pub remote_storage: Option<GenericRemoteStorage>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
diff --git a/compute_tools/src/extension_server.rs b/compute_tools/src/extension_server.rs
index 5781f12b5a..3742bb2b19 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/extension_server.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/extension_server.rs
@@ -65,10 +65,15 @@ pub enum ExtensionType {
 }
 
 pub async fn download_extension(
-    remote_storage: &GenericRemoteStorage,
+    remote_storage: &Option<GenericRemoteStorage>,
     ext_type: ExtensionType,
     pgbin: &str,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let remote_storage = match remote_storage {
+        Some(remote_storage) => remote_storage,
+        None => return Ok(()),
+    };
+
     let mut remote_sharedir = get_pg_config("--sharedir", pgbin);
     remote_sharedir.push_str("/extension");
     // let remote_sharedir = get_pg_config("--libdir", pgbin);
diff --git a/control_plane/src/bin/neon_local.rs b/control_plane/src/bin/neon_local.rs
index 09d644ca84..2cbbb187b6 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/bin/neon_local.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/bin/neon_local.rs
@@ -657,9 +657,7 @@ fn handle_endpoint(ep_match: &ArgMatches, env: &local_env::LocalEnv) -> Result<(
                 .get_one::<String>("endpoint_id")
                 .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("No endpoint ID was provided to start"))?;
 
-            let remote_ext_config = sub_args
-                .get_one::<String>("remote-ext-config")
-                .context("remote_ext_config is not an optional parameter")?;
+            let remote_ext_config = sub_args.get_one::<String>("remote-ext-config");
 
             // If --safekeepers argument is given, use only the listed safekeeper nodes.
             let safekeepers =
@@ -1010,7 +1008,7 @@ fn cli() -> Command {
         .long("remote-ext-config")
         .num_args(1)
         .help("Configure the S3 bucket that we search for extensions in.")
-        .required(true);
+        .required(false);
 
     let lsn_arg = Arg::new("lsn")
         .long("lsn")
diff --git a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
index c0d34ec619..71014984df 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ impl Endpoint {
         &self,
         auth_token: &Option<String>,
         safekeepers: Vec<NodeId>,
-        remote_ext_config: &str,
+        remote_ext_config: Option<&String>,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         if self.status() == "running" {
             anyhow::bail!("The endpoint is already running");
@@ -496,7 +496,6 @@ impl Endpoint {
 
         let mut cmd = Command::new(self.env.neon_distrib_dir.join("compute_ctl"));
         cmd.args(["--http-port", &self.http_address.port().to_string()])
-            .args(["--remote-ext-config", remote_ext_config])
             .args(["--pgdata", self.pgdata().to_str().unwrap()])
             .args(["--connstr", &self.connstr()])
             .args([
@@ -514,6 +513,9 @@ impl Endpoint {
             .stdin(std::process::Stdio::null())
             .stderr(logfile.try_clone()?)
             .stdout(logfile);
+        if let Some(remote_ext_config) = remote_ext_config {
+            cmd.args(["--remote-ext-config", remote_ext_config]);
+        }
         let _child = cmd.spawn()?;
 
         // Wait for it to start
diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
index b6991ffd41..093d3bb7d8 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
@@ -2353,7 +2353,6 @@ class Endpoint(PgProtocol):
         hot_standby: bool = False,
         lsn: Optional[Lsn] = None,
         config_lines: Optional[List[str]] = None,
-        remote_ext_config: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> "Endpoint":
         """
         Create a new Postgres endpoint.
@@ -2406,7 +2405,6 @@ class Endpoint(PgProtocol):
             http_port=self.http_port,
             tenant_id=self.tenant_id,
             safekeepers=self.active_safekeepers,
-            # TODO  it's either start or create, not both that starts compute_ctl
             remote_ext_config=remote_ext_config,
         )
         self.running = True
@@ -2512,7 +2510,6 @@ class Endpoint(PgProtocol):
             config_lines=config_lines,
             hot_standby=hot_standby,
             lsn=lsn,
-            remote_ext_config=remote_ext_config,
         ).start(remote_ext_config=remote_ext_config)
 
         log.info(f"Postgres startup took {time.time() - started_at} seconds")