diff --git a/pkg/loki/modules.go b/pkg/loki/modules.go
index 4c718722a509f..d9c111cc86493 100644
--- a/pkg/loki/modules.go
+++ b/pkg/loki/modules.go
@@ -322,6 +322,10 @@ func (t *Loki) initTenantConfigs() (_ services.Service, err error) {
 func (t *Loki) initDistributor() (services.Service, error) {
 	t.Cfg.Distributor.KafkaConfig = t.Cfg.KafkaConfig
 
+	if t.Cfg.Distributor.KafkaEnabled && !t.Cfg.Ingester.KafkaIngestion.Enabled {
+		return nil, errors.New("kafka is enabled in distributor but not in ingester")
+	}
+
 	var err error
 	logger := log.With(util_log.Logger, "component", "distributor")
 	t.distributor, err = distributor.New(