diff --git a/extensions/micrometer/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/deployment/MicrometerProcessor.java b/extensions/micrometer/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/deployment/MicrometerProcessor.java
index f3c45726769d0..e3e2e6e8076e2 100644
--- a/extensions/micrometer/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/deployment/MicrometerProcessor.java
+++ b/extensions/micrometer/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/deployment/MicrometerProcessor.java
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ public boolean getAsBoolean() {
 
     MicrometerConfig mConfig;
 
+    /**
+     * config objects are beans, but they are not unremoveable by default
+     */
+    @BuildStep
+    UnremovableBeanBuildItem mpConfigAsBean() {
+        return UnremovableBeanBuildItem.beanTypes(MicrometerConfig.class);
+    }
+
     @BuildStep(onlyIf = MicrometerEnabled.class)
     FeatureBuildItem feature() {
         return new FeatureBuildItem(Feature.MICROMETER);
diff --git a/extensions/micrometer/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/runtime/binder/RestClientMetricsListener.java b/extensions/micrometer/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/runtime/binder/RestClientMetricsListener.java
index 82457606eb9e5..a44a5cd1c7e96 100644
--- a/extensions/micrometer/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/runtime/binder/RestClientMetricsListener.java
+++ b/extensions/micrometer/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/micrometer/runtime/binder/RestClientMetricsListener.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import io.micrometer.core.instrument.Tags;
 import io.micrometer.core.instrument.Timer;
 import io.quarkus.arc.Arc;
+import io.quarkus.micrometer.runtime.config.MicrometerConfig;
 
 /**
  * This is initialized via ServiceFactory (static/non-CDI initialization)
@@ -35,6 +36,10 @@ public class RestClientMetricsListener implements RestClientListener {
 
     @Override
     public void onNewClient(Class<?> serviceInterface, RestClientBuilder builder) {
+        MicrometerConfig micrometerConfig = Arc.container().instance(MicrometerConfig.class).get();
+        if (!micrometerConfig.enabled) {
+            return;
+        }
         if (prepClientMetrics()) {
             // This must run AFTER the OpenTelmetry client request filter
             builder.register(this.clientRequestFilter, Priorities.HEADER_DECORATOR + 1);