diff --git a/src/Config/ObjectModel/RuntimeConfig.cs b/src/Config/ObjectModel/RuntimeConfig.cs
index ed7f9f3cc9..e5e791228b 100644
--- a/src/Config/ObjectModel/RuntimeConfig.cs
+++ b/src/Config/ObjectModel/RuntimeConfig.cs
@@ -440,4 +440,17 @@ private void SetupDataSourcesUsed()
         CosmosDataSourceUsed = _dataSourceNameToDataSource.Values.Any
             (x => x.DatabaseType is DatabaseType.CosmosDB_NoSQL);
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Handles the logic for determining if we are in a scenario where hot reload is possible.
+    /// Hot reload is currently not available, and so this will always return false. When hot reload
+    /// becomes an available feature this logic will change to reflect the correct state based on
+    /// the state of the runtime config and any other relevant factors.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <returns>True in a scenario that support hot reload, false otherwise.</returns>
+    public static bool IsHotReloadable()
+    {
+        // always return false while hot reload is not an available feature.
+        return false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs b/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
index f92cd85632..58ae65c60a 100644
--- a/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public RuntimeConfig GetConfig()
     /// </summary>
     private bool TrySetupConfigFileWatcher()
     {
-        if (!IsLateConfigured && _runtimeConfig is not null && _runtimeConfig.IsDevelopmentMode())
+        if (!IsLateConfigured && _runtimeConfig is not null && RuntimeConfig.IsHotReloadable())
         {
             try
             {
diff --git a/src/Service.Tests/Unittests/ConfigFileWatcherUnitTests.cs b/src/Service.Tests/Unittests/ConfigFileWatcherUnitTests.cs
index 04873cbc62..000ed09bc2 100644
--- a/src/Service.Tests/Unittests/ConfigFileWatcherUnitTests.cs
+++ b/src/Service.Tests/Unittests/ConfigFileWatcherUnitTests.cs
@@ -65,8 +65,11 @@ HostMode mode
         /// Use the file system (not mocked) to create a hot reload
         /// scenario of the REST runtime options and verify that we
         /// correctly hot reload those options.
+        /// NOTE: This test is ignored until we have the possibility of turning
+        /// on hot reload.
         /// </summary>
         [TestMethod]
+        [Ignore]
         public void HotReloadConfigRestRuntimeOptions()
         {
             // Arrange