diff --git a/pkg/trait/camel.go b/pkg/trait/camel.go
index d774cfca2b..9f573c5036 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/camel.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/camel.go
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ func (t *camelTrait) Matches(trait Trait) bool {
 }
 
 func (t *camelTrait) Configure(e *Environment) (bool, *TraitCondition, error) {
+	if e.IntegrationKit != nil && e.IntegrationKit.IsExternal() {
+		return false, newIntegrationConditionPlatformDisabledWithMessage("Camel", "integration kit was not created via Camel K operator"), nil
+	}
+	if e.Integration != nil && e.Integration.IsSynthetic() {
+		return false, newIntegrationConditionPlatformDisabledWithMessage("Camel", "syntetic integration"), nil
+	}
+
 	if t.RuntimeVersion == "" {
 		if runtimeVersion, err := determineRuntimeVersion(e); err != nil {
 			return false, nil, err
@@ -71,21 +78,15 @@ func (t *camelTrait) Configure(e *Environment) (bool, *TraitCondition, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Don't run this trait for a synthetic Integration
-	return e.Integration == nil || !e.Integration.IsSynthetic(), nil, nil
+	return true, nil, nil
 }
 
 func (t *camelTrait) Apply(e *Environment) error {
-	if t.RuntimeVersion == "" {
-		return errors.New("unable to determine runtime version")
-	}
-
 	if e.CamelCatalog == nil {
 		if err := t.loadOrCreateCatalog(e, t.RuntimeVersion); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-
 	e.RuntimeVersion = e.CamelCatalog.Runtime.Version
 
 	if e.Integration != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/trait/camel_test.go b/pkg/trait/camel_test.go
index 5d5a13a4f5..2ca58645e3 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/camel_test.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/camel_test.go
@@ -246,3 +246,32 @@ func TestCamelCatalogSemver(t *testing.T) {
 	// 2.x will translate with 2.16.0 as it is already existing
 	assert.Equal(t, environment.CamelCatalog.CamelCatalogSpec.Runtime.Version, environment.RuntimeVersion)
 }
+
+func TestCamelTraitExternalKit(t *testing.T) {
+	trait, environment := createNominalCamelTest(true)
+	environment.Integration.Status = v1.IntegrationStatus{}
+	environment.IntegrationKit.Labels[v1.IntegrationKitTypeLabel] = v1.IntegrationKitTypeExternal
+
+	configured, condition, err := trait.Configure(environment)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "explicitly disabled by the platform: integration kit was not created via Camel K operator", condition.message)
+	assert.False(t, configured)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, v1.RuntimeProvider(""), environment.Integration.Status.RuntimeProvider)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", environment.Integration.Status.RuntimeVersion)
+}
+
+func TestCamelTraitSyntheticIntegration(t *testing.T) {
+	trait, environment := createNominalCamelTest(true)
+	environment.Integration.Status = v1.IntegrationStatus{}
+	environment.Integration.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+	environment.Integration.Annotations[v1.IntegrationSyntheticLabel] = "true"
+
+	configured, condition, err := trait.Configure(environment)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "explicitly disabled by the platform: syntetic integration", condition.message)
+	assert.False(t, configured)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, v1.RuntimeProvider(""), environment.Integration.Status.RuntimeProvider)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", environment.Integration.Status.RuntimeVersion)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/trait/cron.go b/pkg/trait/cron.go
index adf04f0c3a..3e81c8ea2d 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/cron.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/cron.go
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ func (t *cronTrait) Configure(e *Environment) (bool, *TraitCondition, error) {
 	if !e.IntegrationInPhase(v1.IntegrationPhaseInitialization) && !e.IntegrationInRunningPhases() {
 		return false, nil, nil
 	}
+	if e.CamelCatalog == nil {
+		return false, newIntegrationConditionPlatformDisabledWithMessage("Cron", "no camel catalog available for this Integration"), nil
+	}
 
 	if _, ok := e.CamelCatalog.Runtime.Capabilities[v1.CapabilityCron]; !ok {
 		return false, NewIntegrationCondition(
diff --git a/pkg/trait/jvm.go b/pkg/trait/jvm.go
index c9e3b32645..0a72ee99ec 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/jvm.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/jvm.go
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ func (t *jvmTrait) Configure(e *Environment) (bool, *TraitCondition, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if e.CamelCatalog == nil {
+		return false, newIntegrationConditionPlatformDisabledWithMessage("JVM", "no camel catalog available for this Integration"), nil
+	}
 	return true, nil, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/trait/logging.go b/pkg/trait/logging.go
index 00d26369c5..1063e21e7e 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/logging.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/logging.go
@@ -52,10 +52,12 @@ func (l loggingTrait) Configure(e *Environment) (bool, *TraitCondition, error) {
 	if e.Integration == nil {
 		return false, nil, nil
 	}
-
 	if !pointer.BoolDeref(l.Enabled, true) {
 		return false, NewIntegrationConditionUserDisabled("Logging"), nil
 	}
+	if e.CamelCatalog == nil {
+		return false, newIntegrationConditionPlatformDisabledWithMessage("Logging", "no camel catalog available for this Integration"), nil
+	}
 
 	return e.IntegrationInRunningPhases(), nil, nil
 }