diff --git a/kong/init.lua b/kong/init.lua
index e0a78f8a9fe..0acd8a476d4 100644
--- a/kong/init.lua
+++ b/kong/init.lua
@@ -869,6 +869,7 @@ function Kong.init_worker()
                             err)
     return
   end
+  kong.core_cache = core_cache
 
   kong.db:set_events_handler(worker_events)
 
@@ -913,7 +914,7 @@ function Kong.init_worker()
       end
 
     elseif declarative_entities then
-      kong.core_cache = core_cache
+      --kong.core_cache = core_cache
 
       ok, err = load_declarative_config(kong.configuration,
                                         declarative_entities,
@@ -940,7 +941,7 @@ function Kong.init_worker()
     end
   end
 
-  kong.core_cache = core_cache
+  --kong.core_cache = core_cache
 
   local is_not_control_plane = not is_control_plane(kong.configuration)
   if is_not_control_plane then
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/09-hybrid_mode/03-pki_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/09-hybrid_mode/03-pki_spec.lua
index 00d8b483cdc..de2a1743ee0 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/09-hybrid_mode/03-pki_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/09-hybrid_mode/03-pki_spec.lua
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ local helpers = require "spec.helpers"
 local cjson = require "cjson.safe"
 
 
+for _, cluster_rpc in ipairs { "on", "off"  } do
 for _, strategy in helpers.each_strategy() do
 
-describe("CP/DP PKI sync #" .. strategy, function()
+describe("CP/DP PKI sync #" .. strategy .. " rpc=" .. cluster_rpc, function()
 
   lazy_setup(function()
     helpers.get_db_utils(strategy, {
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ describe("CP/DP PKI sync #" .. strategy, function()
       -- additional attributes for PKI:
       cluster_mtls = "pki",
       cluster_ca_cert = "spec/fixtures/kong_clustering_ca.crt",
+      cluster_rpc = cluster_rpc,
     }))
 
     assert(helpers.start_kong({
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ describe("CP/DP PKI sync #" .. strategy, function()
       cluster_mtls = "pki",
       cluster_server_name = "kong_clustering",
       cluster_ca_cert = "spec/fixtures/kong_clustering.crt",
+      cluster_rpc = cluster_rpc,
     }))
   end)
 
@@ -158,4 +161,5 @@ describe("CP/DP PKI sync #" .. strategy, function()
   end)
 end)
 
-end
+end -- for _, strategy
+end -- for cluster_rpc