diff --git a/cmd/agent/subcommands/run/command_windows.go b/cmd/agent/subcommands/run/command_windows.go
index ae3b462c4cc44..e2bd81548cbf1 100644
--- a/cmd/agent/subcommands/run/command_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/agent/subcommands/run/command_windows.go
@@ -158,5 +158,8 @@ func getPlatformModules() fx.Option {
 	return fx.Options(
 		agentcrashdetect.Module,
 		comptraceconfig.Module,
+		fx.Replace(comptraceconfig.Params{
+			FailIfAPIKeyMissing: false,
+		}),
 	)
 }
diff --git a/comp/trace/config/component.go b/comp/trace/config/component.go
index febf35a006ed8..07175a802cf5e 100644
--- a/comp/trace/config/component.go
+++ b/comp/trace/config/component.go
@@ -50,9 +50,15 @@ type Mock interface {
 // Module defines the fx options for this component.
 var Module = fxutil.Component(
 	fx.Provide(newConfig),
+	fx.Supply(Params{
+		FailIfAPIKeyMissing: true,
+	}),
 )
 
 // MockModule defines the fx options for the mock component.
 var MockModule = fxutil.Component(
 	fx.Provide(newMock),
+	fx.Supply(Params{
+		FailIfAPIKeyMissing: true,
+	}),
 )
diff --git a/comp/trace/config/config.go b/comp/trace/config/config.go
index 23cab4bcf1305..867d630b51a58 100644
--- a/comp/trace/config/config.go
+++ b/comp/trace/config/config.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 
 type dependencies struct {
 	fx.In
-
+	Params Params
 	Config coreconfig.Component
 }
 
@@ -43,8 +43,12 @@ type cfg struct {
 
 func newConfig(deps dependencies) (Component, error) {
 	tracecfg, err := setupConfig(deps, "")
+
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		// Allow main Agent to start with missing API key
+		if !(err == traceconfig.ErrMissingAPIKey && !deps.Params.FailIfAPIKeyMissing) {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	c := cfg{
diff --git a/comp/trace/config/params.go b/comp/trace/config/params.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c6d72aceefe0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/comp/trace/config/params.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// Unless explicitly stated otherwise all files in this repository are licensed
+// under the Apache License Version 2.0.
+// This product includes software developed at Datadog (https://www.datadoghq.com/).
+// Copyright 2016-present Datadog, Inc.
+
+package config
+
+// Params defines the parameters for the config component.
+type Params struct {
+	// FailIfAPIKeyMissing controls if the Agent should fail if the API key is missing from the config.
+	FailIfAPIKeyMissing bool
+}