diff --git a/ingestion/Cargo.toml b/ingestion/Cargo.toml
index 421b90ba..2dc4d205 100644
--- a/ingestion/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ingestion/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ edition.workspace = true
 
 [features]
 integration_tests = []
+kafka = []
 
 [dependencies]
 axum.workspace = true
diff --git a/ingestion/src/lib.rs b/ingestion/src/lib.rs
index 4c4700db..11fb711a 100644
--- a/ingestion/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ingestion/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use std::{
 use thiserror::Error;
 use tokio_postgres::NoTls;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "kafka")]
 pub mod kvkafka;
 pub mod permissions;
 use permissions::{ParamPermitTable, StationPermitTable};
diff --git a/ingestion/src/main.rs b/ingestion/src/main.rs
index fcb7be6e..cabb6526 100644
--- a/ingestion/src/main.rs
+++ b/ingestion/src/main.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 use bb8_postgres::PostgresConnectionManager;
-use lard_ingestion::{kvkafka, permissions};
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 use tokio_postgres::NoTls;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "kafka")]
+use lard_ingestion::kvkafka;
+use lard_ingestion::permissions;
+
 const PARAMCONV: &str = "resources/paramconversions.csv";
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -40,11 +43,13 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
     });
 
     // Set up postgres connection pool
-    let manager = PostgresConnectionManager::new_from_stringlike("LARD_STRING", NoTls)?;
+    let manager =
+        PostgresConnectionManager::new_from_stringlike(std::env::var("LARD_STRING")?, NoTls)?;
     let db_pool = bb8::Pool::builder().build(manager).await?;
 
     // Spawn kvkafka reader
     let kafka_group = args[1].to_string();
+    #[cfg(feature = "kafka")]
     tokio::spawn(kvkafka::read_and_insert(db_pool.clone(), kafka_group));
 
     // Set up and run our server + database
diff --git a/integration_tests/Cargo.toml b/integration_tests/Cargo.toml
index 6c45d033..6e2e30ff 100644
--- a/integration_tests/Cargo.toml
+++ b/integration_tests/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ debug = []
 
 [dependencies]
 lard_api = { path = "../api" }
-lard_ingestion = { path = "../ingestion", features = ["integration_tests"] }
+lard_ingestion = { path = "../ingestion", features = ["integration_tests", "kafka"] }
 chrono.workspace = true
 tokio.workspace = true
 tokio-postgres.workspace = true