diff --git a/.changeset/grumpy-eels-swim.md b/.changeset/grumpy-eels-swim.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbf5b1ca79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/grumpy-eels-swim.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend': patch
+---
+
+Allow missing kubernetes config in development env
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
index 9b181c8514..ea273d7632 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/api-report.md
@@ -83,15 +83,7 @@ export interface GKEClusterDetails extends ClusterDetails {}
 export class KubernetesBuilder {
   constructor(env: KubernetesEnvironment);
   // (undocumented)
-  build(): Promise<{
-    clusterDetails: ClusterDetails[];
-    clusterSupplier: KubernetesClustersSupplier;
-    customResources: CustomResource[];
-    fetcher: KubernetesFetcher;
-    objectsProvider: KubernetesObjectsProvider;
-    router: express.Router;
-    serviceLocator: KubernetesServiceLocator;
-  }>;
+  build(): KubernetesBuilderReturn;
   // (undocumented)
   protected buildClusterSupplier(): KubernetesClustersSupplier;
   // (undocumented)
@@ -142,6 +134,17 @@ export class KubernetesBuilder {
   setServiceLocator(serviceLocator?: KubernetesServiceLocator): this;
 }
 
+// @public
+export type KubernetesBuilderReturn = Promise<{
+  router: express.Router;
+  clusterDetails: ClusterDetails[];
+  clusterSupplier: KubernetesClustersSupplier;
+  customResources: CustomResource[];
+  fetcher: KubernetesFetcher;
+  objectsProvider: KubernetesObjectsProvider;
+  serviceLocator: KubernetesServiceLocator;
+}>;
+
 // Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "KubernetesClustersSupplier" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
diff --git a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/service/KubernetesBuilder.ts b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/service/KubernetesBuilder.ts
index 3333f7a0fc..a1eb60a239 100644
--- a/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/service/KubernetesBuilder.ts
+++ b/plugins/kubernetes-backend/src/service/KubernetesBuilder.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,21 @@ export interface KubernetesEnvironment {
   config: Config;
 }
 
+/**
+ * The return type of the `KubernetesBuilder.build` method
+ *
+ * @public
+ */
+export type KubernetesBuilderReturn = Promise<{
+  router: express.Router;
+  clusterDetails: ClusterDetails[];
+  clusterSupplier: KubernetesClustersSupplier;
+  customResources: CustomResource[];
+  fetcher: KubernetesFetcher;
+  objectsProvider: KubernetesObjectsProvider;
+  serviceLocator: KubernetesServiceLocator;
+}>;
+
 export class KubernetesBuilder {
   private clusterSupplier?: KubernetesClustersSupplier;
   private objectsProvider?: KubernetesObjectsProvider;
@@ -55,11 +70,23 @@ export class KubernetesBuilder {
 
   constructor(protected readonly env: KubernetesEnvironment) {}
 
-  public async build() {
+  public async build(): KubernetesBuilderReturn {
     const logger = this.env.logger;
+    const config = this.env.config;
 
     logger.info('Initializing Kubernetes backend');
 
+    if (!config.has('kubernetes')) {
+      if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'development') {
+        throw new Error('Kubernetes configuration is missing');
+      }
+      logger.warn(
+        'Failed to initialize kubernetes backend: kubernetes config is missing',
+      );
+      return {
+        router: Router(),
+      } as unknown as KubernetesBuilderReturn;
+    }
     const customResources = this.buildCustomResources();
 
     const fetcher = this.fetcher ?? this.buildFetcher();