diff --git a/jax/_src/distributed.py b/jax/_src/distributed.py
index 715d831e4e9c..6c6f60c08c0a 100644
--- a/jax/_src/distributed.py
+++ b/jax/_src/distributed.py
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@
     ),
 )
 
+_ENABLE_PREEMPTION_SERVICE = config.bool_state(
+    name='jax_enable_preemption_service',
+    default=True,
+    help=(
+        "Enables the preemption service. See"
+        " multihost_utils.reached_preemption_sync_point for details."
+    ),
+)
+
 class State:
   process_id: int = 0
   num_processes: int = 1
@@ -188,6 +197,8 @@ def shutdown(self):
       self.service = None
 
   def initialize_preemption_sync_manager(self):
+    if not _ENABLE_PREEMPTION_SERVICE.value:
+      return
     if self.preemption_sync_manager is not None:
       raise RuntimeError(
           'Preemption sync manager should only be initialized once.')
diff --git a/jax/experimental/multihost_utils.py b/jax/experimental/multihost_utils.py
index ee7e9509ea3d..f3026502abc6 100644
--- a/jax/experimental/multihost_utils.py
+++ b/jax/experimental/multihost_utils.py
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@ def should_save(step_id: int) -> bool:
     return False
   sync_manager = distributed.global_state.preemption_sync_manager
   if sync_manager is None:
-    raise RuntimeError("Preemption sync manager has not been initialized.")
+    raise RuntimeError(
+        "Preemption sync manager has not been initialized. Make sure the"
+        " 'jax_enable_preemption_service' config is enabled."
+    )
   return sync_manager.reached_sync_point(step_id)