diff --git a/.changeset/itchy-elephants-trade.md b/.changeset/itchy-elephants-trade.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ac6aaeeb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/itchy-elephants-trade.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-events-backend': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-events-node': patch
+---
+
+Fix `events.useEventBus` by propagating config to `DefaultEventsService`
diff --git a/packages/backend-legacy/src/index.ts b/packages/backend-legacy/src/index.ts
index 9a581e7d26..23f71baba5 100644
--- a/packages/backend-legacy/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-legacy/src/index.ts
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ function makeCreateEnv(config: Config) {
     discovery,
   });
 
-  const eventsService = DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: root });
+  const eventsService = DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: root, config });
   const eventBroker = new DefaultEventBroker(
     root.child({ type: 'plugin' }),
     eventsService,
diff --git a/plugins/events-backend/src/service/DefaultEventBroker.ts b/plugins/events-backend/src/service/DefaultEventBroker.ts
index 27523f3118..b8f6d43b0a 100644
--- a/plugins/events-backend/src/service/DefaultEventBroker.ts
+++ b/plugins/events-backend/src/service/DefaultEventBroker.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ export class DefaultEventBroker implements EventBroker {
    * @deprecated use `DefaultEventsService` directly instead
    */
   constructor(logger: LoggerService, events?: EventsService) {
-    this.events = events ?? DefaultEventsService.create({ logger });
+    this.events =
+      events ?? DefaultEventsService.create({ logger, useEventBus: 'never' });
   }
 
   async publish(params: EventParams): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/plugins/events-node/README.md b/plugins/events-node/README.md
index b07303ff72..0811bde72c 100644
--- a/plugins/events-node/README.md
+++ b/plugins/events-node/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import { DefaultEventsService } from '@backstage/plugin-events-node';
 
 function makeCreateEnv(config: Config) {
   // ...
-  const eventsService = DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: root });
+  const eventsService = DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: root, config });
   // ...
   return (plugin: string): PluginEnvironment => {
     // ...
diff --git a/plugins/events-node/src/service.ts b/plugins/events-node/src/service.ts
index 4f758f44e6..a70eb38d97 100644
--- a/plugins/events-node/src/service.ts
+++ b/plugins/events-node/src/service.ts
@@ -42,9 +42,10 @@ export const eventsServiceFactory = createServiceFactory({
     logger: coreServices.logger,
     lifecycle: coreServices.lifecycle,
     auth: coreServices.auth,
+    config: coreServices.rootConfig,
   },
-  async createRootContext({ rootLogger }) {
-    return DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: rootLogger });
+  async createRootContext({ rootLogger, config }) {
+    return DefaultEventsService.create({ logger: rootLogger, config });
   },
   async factory(
     { pluginMetadata, discovery, logger, lifecycle, auth },