diff --git a/modules/ingest-geoip/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/geoip/EnterpriseGeoIpDownloader.java b/modules/ingest-geoip/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/geoip/EnterpriseGeoIpDownloader.java
index fa46540e29f7a..3bbb0539f193a 100644
--- a/modules/ingest-geoip/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/geoip/EnterpriseGeoIpDownloader.java
+++ b/modules/ingest-geoip/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/geoip/EnterpriseGeoIpDownloader.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.CheckedSupplier;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.hash.MessageDigests;
+import org.elasticsearch.core.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.BoolQueryBuilder;
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@ boolean processDatabase(String id, DatabaseConfiguration database) throws IOExce
         logger.debug("Processing database [{}] for configuration [{}]", name, database.id());
 
         try (ProviderDownload downloader = downloaderFor(database)) {
-            if (downloader.validCredentials()) {
+            if (downloader != null && downloader.validCredentials()) {
                 // the name that comes from the enterprise downloader cluster state doesn't include the .mmdb extension,
                 // but the downloading and indexing of database code expects it to be there, so we add it on here before continuing
                 final String fileName = name + ".mmdb";
@@ -443,10 +444,17 @@ private void scheduleNextRun(TimeValue time) {
         }
     }
 
+    @Nullable
     private ProviderDownload downloaderFor(DatabaseConfiguration database) {
-        assert database.provider() instanceof DatabaseConfiguration.Maxmind
-            : "Attempt to use maxmind downloader with a provider of type" + database.provider().getClass();
-        return new MaxmindDownload(database.name(), (DatabaseConfiguration.Maxmind) database.provider());
+        if (database.provider() instanceof DatabaseConfiguration.Maxmind) {
+            return new MaxmindDownload(database.name(), (DatabaseConfiguration.Maxmind) database.provider());
+        } else if (database.provider() instanceof DatabaseConfiguration.Ipinfo) {
+            // as a temporary implementation detail, null here means 'not actually supported *just yet*'
+            return null;
+        } else {
+            assert false : "Attempted to use database downloader with unsupported provider type [" + database.provider().getClass() + "]";
+            return null;
+        }
     }
 
     class MaxmindDownload implements ProviderDownload {