diff --git a/waku/v2/rest/waku_rest.go b/waku/v2/rest/waku_rest.go
index b7f9db30..e5aaec4c 100644
--- a/waku/v2/rest/waku_rest.go
+++ b/waku/v2/rest/waku_rest.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ func NewWakuRest(node *node.WakuNode, address string, port int, enableAdmin bool
 	}
 
 	_ = NewDebugService(node, mux)
-	relayService := NewRelayService(node, mux, relayCacheCapacity, log)
 
 	listenAddr := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", address, port)
 
@@ -42,20 +41,27 @@ func NewWakuRest(node *node.WakuNode, address string, port int, enableAdmin bool
 		Handler: mux,
 	}
 
-	server.RegisterOnShutdown(func() {
-		relayService.Stop()
-	})
-
 	wrpc.node = node
 	wrpc.server = server
-	wrpc.relayService = relayService
+
+	if node.Relay() != nil {
+		relayService := NewRelayService(node, mux, relayCacheCapacity, log)
+		server.RegisterOnShutdown(func() {
+			relayService.Stop()
+		})
+		wrpc.relayService = relayService
+	}
 
 	return wrpc
 }
 
 func (r *WakuRest) Start(ctx context.Context, wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	defer wg.Done()
-	go r.relayService.Start(ctx)
+
+	if r.node.Relay() != nil {
+		go r.relayService.Start(ctx)
+	}
+
 	go func() {
 		_ = r.server.ListenAndServe()
 	}()
diff --git a/waku/v2/rpc/waku_rpc.go b/waku/v2/rpc/waku_rpc.go
index 43b14a8c..0af83ef2 100644
--- a/waku/v2/rpc/waku_rpc.go
+++ b/waku/v2/rpc/waku_rpc.go
@@ -51,10 +51,13 @@ func NewWakuRpc(node *node.WakuNode, address string, port int, enableAdmin bool,
 		wrpc.log.Error("registering debug service", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
-	relayService := NewRelayService(node, cacheCapacity, log)
-	err = s.RegisterService(relayService, "Relay")
-	if err != nil {
-		wrpc.log.Error("registering relay service", zap.Error(err))
+	var relayService *RelayService
+	if node.Relay() != nil {
+		relayService = NewRelayService(node, cacheCapacity, log)
+		err = s.RegisterService(relayService, "Relay")
+		if err != nil {
+			wrpc.log.Error("registering relay service", zap.Error(err))
+		}
 	}
 
 	err = s.RegisterService(&StoreService{node, log}, "Store")
@@ -95,7 +98,10 @@ func NewWakuRpc(node *node.WakuNode, address string, port int, enableAdmin bool,
 
 	server.RegisterOnShutdown(func() {
 		filterService.Stop()
-		relayService.Stop()
+
+		if relayService != nil {
+			relayService.Stop()
+		}
 		if wrpc.privateService != nil {
 			wrpc.privateService.Stop()
 		}
@@ -110,7 +116,10 @@ func NewWakuRpc(node *node.WakuNode, address string, port int, enableAdmin bool,
 }
 
 func (r *WakuRpc) Start() {
-	go r.relayService.Start()
+	if r.relayService != nil {
+		go r.relayService.Start()
+	}
+
 	go r.filterService.Start()
 	if r.privateService != nil {
 		go r.privateService.Start()