diff --git a/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/node.go b/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/node.go
index 6edbdb1bdf..cbe566e7c7 100644
--- a/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/node.go
+++ b/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/node.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ type MetricsNode struct {
 
 	listeners  []chan<- *node.MetricsCapabilityConfig
 	conditions health.ConditionTracker
+
+	nodeDriverMu sync.RWMutex
+	nodeDriver   drivers.MetricsNodeDriver
 }
 
 func NewMetricsNode(ct health.ConditionTracker, lg *zap.SugaredLogger) *MetricsNode {
@@ -122,6 +125,13 @@ func (m *MetricsNode) SetRemoteWriter(client clients.Locker[remotewrite.RemoteWr
 	m.targetRunner.SetRemoteWriteClient(client)
 }
 
+func (m *MetricsNode) SetNodeDriver(driver drivers.MetricsNodeDriver) {
+	m.nodeDriverMu.Lock()
+	defer m.nodeDriverMu.Unlock()
+
+	m.nodeDriver = driver
+}
+
 func (m *MetricsNode) Info(_ context.Context, _ *emptypb.Empty) (*capabilityv1.Details, error) {
 	return &capabilityv1.Details{
 		Name:    wellknown.CapabilityMetrics,
@@ -203,12 +213,18 @@ func (m *MetricsNode) GetTargetStatus(ctx context.Context, request *remoteread.T
 }
 
 func (m *MetricsNode) Discover(ctx context.Context, request *remoteread.DiscoveryRequest) (*remoteread.DiscoveryResponse, error) {
-	driver, err := drivers.GetNodeDriver("external-operator")
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not get driver: %w", err)
+	m.nodeDriverMu.RLock()
+	defer m.nodeDriverMu.RUnlock()
+
+	if m.nodeDriver == nil {
+		m.logger.Warnf("no node driver available for discvoery")
+
+		return &remoteread.DiscoveryResponse{
+			Entries: []*remoteread.DiscoveryEntry{},
+		}, nil
 	}
 
-	entries, err := driver.DiscoverPrometheuses(ctx, *request.Namespace)
+	entries, err := m.nodeDriver.DiscoverPrometheuses(ctx, *request.Namespace)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not discover Prometheus instances: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/plugin.go b/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/plugin.go
index 149d297480..cb24e1c4d6 100644
--- a/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/metrics/pkg/agent/plugin.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ func NewPlugin(ctx context.Context) *Plugin {
 		).Info("node driver is available")
 		drivers.RegisterNodeDriver(d)
 		p.node.AddConfigListener(drivers.NewListenerFunc(ctx, d.ConfigureNode))
+		p.node.SetNodeDriver(d)
 	}
 
 	p.node.AddConfigListener(drivers.NewListenerFunc(ctx, p.onConfigUpdated))