diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bf0ac5a..3113b3b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "jsontas~=1.3",
     "packageurl-python~=0.11",
     "etcd3gw~=2.3",
-    "etos-lib==4.4.1",
+    "etos-lib==4.4.2",
     "opentelemetry-api~=1.21",
     "opentelemetry-exporter-otlp~=1.21",
     "opentelemetry-sdk~=1.21",
diff --git a/src/environment_provider/lib/config.py b/src/environment_provider/lib/config.py
index 406ac58..61076c2 100644
--- a/src/environment_provider/lib/config.py
+++ b/src/environment_provider/lib/config.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import os
 from typing import Optional
 
+from urllib3.exceptions import MaxRetryError
 from etos_lib import ETOS
 from etos_lib.kubernetes.schemas.testrun import Suite
 from etos_lib.kubernetes.schemas.environment_request import (
@@ -59,9 +60,18 @@ def __init__(self, etos: ETOS, kubernetes: Kubernetes, ids: Optional[list[str]]
     @property
     def etos_controller(self) -> bool:
         """Whether or not the environment provider is running as a part of the ETOS controller."""
-        request = EnvironmentRequest(self.kubernetes)
-        request_name = os.getenv("REQUEST")
-        return request_name is not None and request.exists(request_name)
+        try:
+            request = EnvironmentRequest(self.kubernetes)
+            request_name = os.getenv("REQUEST")
+            return request_name is not None and request.exists(request_name)
+        except MaxRetryError:
+            self.logger.warning(
+                "Could not initialize EnvironmentRequest client, "
+                "assuming that the environment provider is not running "
+                "in Kubernetes or that the ETOS controller system is not "
+                "deployed in this cluster."
+            )
+            return False
 
     def load_config(self) -> None:
         """Load config from environment variables."""