diff --git a/pkg/server/server_sql.go b/pkg/server/server_sql.go
index 0fdc9c4efd9e..097fb2e02bca 100644
--- a/pkg/server/server_sql.go
+++ b/pkg/server/server_sql.go
@@ -520,6 +520,19 @@ func newSQLServer(ctx context.Context, cfg sqlServerArgs) (*SQLServer, error) {
 	// SQL pod server.
 	_, isMixedSQLAndKVNode := cfg.nodeIDContainer.OptionalNodeID()
 
+	var settingsWatcher *settingswatcher.SettingsWatcher
+	if codec.ForSystemTenant() {
+		settingsWatcher = settingswatcher.New(
+			cfg.clock, codec, cfg.Settings, cfg.rangeFeedFactory, cfg.stopper, cfg.settingsStorage,
+		)
+	} else {
+		// Create the tenant settings watcher, using the tenant connector as the
+		// overrides monitor.
+		settingsWatcher = settingswatcher.NewWithOverrides(
+			cfg.clock, codec, cfg.Settings, cfg.rangeFeedFactory, cfg.stopper, cfg.tenantConnect, cfg.settingsStorage,
+		)
+	}
+
 	sqllivenessKnobs, _ := cfg.TestingKnobs.SQLLivenessKnobs.(*sqlliveness.TestingKnobs)
 	var sessionEventsConsumer slinstance.SessionEventListener
 	if !isMixedSQLAndKVNode {
@@ -1297,19 +1310,6 @@ func newSQLServer(ctx context.Context, cfg sqlServerArgs) (*SQLServer, error) {
 	vmoduleSetting.SetOnChange(&cfg.Settings.SV, fn)
 	fn(ctx)
 
-	var settingsWatcher *settingswatcher.SettingsWatcher
-	if codec.ForSystemTenant() {
-		settingsWatcher = settingswatcher.New(
-			cfg.clock, codec, cfg.Settings, cfg.rangeFeedFactory, cfg.stopper, cfg.settingsStorage,
-		)
-	} else {
-		// Create the tenant settings watcher, using the tenant connector as the
-		// overrides monitor.
-		settingsWatcher = settingswatcher.NewWithOverrides(
-			cfg.clock, codec, cfg.Settings, cfg.rangeFeedFactory, cfg.stopper, cfg.tenantConnect, cfg.settingsStorage,
-		)
-	}
-
 	return &SQLServer{
 		ambientCtx:                     cfg.BaseConfig.AmbientCtx,
 		stopper:                        cfg.stopper,
@@ -1365,6 +1365,13 @@ func (s *SQLServer) preStart(
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Initialize the settings watcher early in sql server startup. Settings
+	// values are meaningless before the watcher is initialized and most sub
+	// systems depend on system settings.
+	if err := s.settingsWatcher.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing settings")
+	}
+
 	// Load the multi-region enum by reading the system database's descriptor.
 	// This also serves as a simple check to see if a tenant exist (i.e. by
 	// checking whether the system db has been bootstrapped).
@@ -1499,11 +1506,8 @@ func (s *SQLServer) preStart(
 		bootstrapVersion = roachpb.Version{Major: 20, Minor: 1, Internal: 1}
 	}
 
-	if err := s.settingsWatcher.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing settings")
-	}
 	if err := s.systemConfigWatcher.Start(ctx, s.stopper); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing settings")
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing system config watcher")
 	}
 
 	clusterVersionMetrics := clusterversion.MakeMetricsAndRegisterOnVersionChangeCallback(&s.cfg.Settings.SV)