diff --git a/spartan/aztec-network/templates/transaction-bot.yaml b/spartan/aztec-network/templates/transaction-bot.yaml
index 99b395ca987..7d4837ad40f 100644
--- a/spartan/aztec-network/templates/transaction-bot.yaml
+++ b/spartan/aztec-network/templates/transaction-bot.yaml
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ spec:
               value: "{{ .Values.bot.followChain }}"
             - name: BOT_NO_START
               value: "{{ .Values.bot.botNoStart }}"
+            - name: BOT_FEE_PAYMENT_METHOD
+              value: "{{ .Values.bot.feePaymentMethod }}"
             - name: PXE_PROVER_ENABLED
               value: "{{ .Values.aztec.realProofs }}"
             - name: PROVER_REAL_PROOFS
diff --git a/spartan/aztec-network/templates/validator.yaml b/spartan/aztec-network/templates/validator.yaml
index bc88443986d..7d7c131b176 100644
--- a/spartan/aztec-network/templates/validator.yaml
+++ b/spartan/aztec-network/templates/validator.yaml
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ spec:
               value: "{{ .Values.validator.sequencer.maxTxsPerBlock }}"
             - name: SEQ_ENFORCE_TIME_TABLE
               value: "{{ .Values.validator.sequencer.enforceTimeTable }}"
+            - name: ENFORCE_FEES
+              value: "{{ .Values.validator.sequencer.enforceFees }}"
             - name: L1_CHAIN_ID
               value: "{{ .Values.ethereum.chainId }}"
             - name: OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES
diff --git a/spartan/aztec-network/values.yaml b/spartan/aztec-network/values.yaml
index 26cf80bb5f7..dd218203c29 100644
--- a/spartan/aztec-network/values.yaml
+++ b/spartan/aztec-network/values.yaml
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ validator:
     minTxsPerBlock: 1
     maxTxsPerBlock: 4
     enforceTimeTable: true
+    enforceFees: false
   validator:
     disabled: false
     reexecute: true
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ bot:
   # Do not wait for transactions
   followChain: "NONE"
   botNoStart: false
+  feePaymentMethod: "none"
   maxErrors: 3
   stopIfUnhealthy: true
   service:
diff --git a/spartan/aztec-network/values/release-devnet.yaml b/spartan/aztec-network/values/release-devnet.yaml
index c4cae860388..a6bf3ce8c53 100644
--- a/spartan/aztec-network/values/release-devnet.yaml
+++ b/spartan/aztec-network/values/release-devnet.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ telemetry:
 
 validator:
   replicas: 1
+  sequencer:
+    enforceFees: false # disabled until the bot can fund itself
   validatorKeys:
     - 0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80
   validatorAddresses:
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ proverAgent:
 
 bot:
   followChain: "PENDING"
+  feePaymentMethod: "none" # disabled until the bot can fund itself
   enabled: true
   txIntervalSeconds: 200