diff --git a/dev/env/scripts/up.sh b/dev/env/scripts/up.sh
index d92f02604..2541ec327 100755
--- a/dev/env/scripts/up.sh
+++ b/dev/env/scripts/up.sh
@@ -58,10 +58,12 @@ if ! is_openshift_cluster "$CLUSTER_TYPE"; then
     make -C "$GITROOT" deploy/redhat-pull-secret
 fi
 
-log "Deploying fleet-manager"
-make -C "$GITROOT" deploy/service
+if [ -z "${DATAPLANE_ONLY}" ] || [ "${DATAPLANE_ONLY}" = "false" ]; then
+    log "Deploying fleet-manager"
+    make -C "$GITROOT" deploy/service
+    wait_for_container_to_appear "$ACSCS_NAMESPACE" "app=fleet-manager" "service"
+fi
 
-wait_for_container_to_appear "$ACSCS_NAMESPACE" "app=fleet-manager" "service"
 if [[ "$SPAWN_LOGGER" == "true" && -n "${LOG_DIR:-}" ]]; then
     $KUBECTL -n "$ACSCS_NAMESPACE" logs -l app=fleet-manager --all-containers --pod-running-timeout=1m --since=1m --tail=100 -f >"${LOG_DIR}/pod-logs_fleet-manager.txt" 2>&1 &
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/ci/multicluster_tests/run_multicluster_tests.sh b/scripts/ci/multicluster_tests/run_multicluster_tests.sh
index 37a6bc09e..84521cad6 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/multicluster_tests/run_multicluster_tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/multicluster_tests/run_multicluster_tests.sh
@@ -45,11 +45,7 @@ kubectl delete pod -n rhacs -l app=fleet-manager
 
 export KUBECONFIG="$CLUSTER_2_KUBECONFIG"
 make deploy/bootstrap
-make deploy/dev
-
-# TODO: make a knob that allows for only deploying FS
-# remove control plane deployment from 2nd cluster
-kubectl delete deploy fleet-manager fleet-manager-db -n rhacs
+DATAPLANE_ONLY="true" make deploy/dev
 
 # Get a static token from cluster1 which will be used for FS -> FM communication
 # for the FS running on cluster2