diff --git a/.devcontainer/.env b/.devcontainer/.env
index bf227a27c..21e3ffc1b 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/.env
+++ b/.devcontainer/.env
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ LOADBALANCERAPI_CRDB_URI="postgresql://root@crdb:26257/load_balancer_api_dev?ssl
 LOADBALANCERAPI_EVENTS_NATS_CREDSFILE="/workspaces/load-balancer-api/.devcontainer/nsc/nkeys/creds/LOCAL/LBAAS/USER.creds"
 LOADBALANCERAPI_EVENTS_NATS_PUBLISHPREFIX=com.infratographer
 LOADBALANCERAPI_EVENTS_NATS_QUEUEGROUP=loadbalancerapi
+LOADBALANCERAPI_PERMISSIONS_IGNORENORESPONDERS=true
 
 NKEYS_PATH="/workspaces/load-balancer-api/.devcontainer/nsc/nkeys"
 NSC_HOME="/workspaces/load-balancer-api/.devcontainer/nsc/nats"
diff --git a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
index afaa3753f..31cb16f01 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ services:
       context: .
       dockerfile: Dockerfile
       args:
-        VARIANT: 1.20-bullseye
+        VARIANT: 1.21-bullseye
         NODE_VERSION: "none"
     # Overrides default command so things don't shut down after the process ends.
     command: sleep infinity
diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index c2712dd57..2e5edb7e3 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ func writePidFile(pidFile string) error {
 }
 
 func serve(ctx context.Context) error {
+	var resolverOpts []graphapi.Option
+
 	if serveDevMode {
 		enablePlayground = true
 		config.AppConfig.Logging.Debug = true
@@ -172,6 +174,11 @@ func serve(ctx context.Context) error {
 			metadataClient = metadata.New(config.AppConfig.Supergraph.URL)
 		}
 	}
+
+	if metadataClient != nil {
+		resolverOpts = append(resolverOpts, graphapi.WithMetadataClient(metadataClient))
+	}
+
 	// TODO: fix generated pubsubhooks
 	// eventhooks.PubsubHooks(client)
 
@@ -213,7 +220,7 @@ func serve(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	middleware = append(middleware, perms.Middleware())
 
-	r := graphapi.NewResolver(client, logger.Named("resolvers"), graphapi.WithMetadataClient(metadataClient))
+	r := graphapi.NewResolver(client, logger.Named("resolvers"), resolverOpts...)
 	handler := r.Handler(enablePlayground, middleware...)
 
 	srv.AddHandler(handler)