diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 81ce714..ee7c46f 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ import (
 type Config struct {
 	HTTP                    Endpoint          `yaml:"http"`
 	RequestAggregationDelay time.Duration     `yaml:"request_aggregation_delay"`
-	Provider                *string           `yaml:"provider"`
-	Engine                  *string           `yaml:"engine"`
+	Provider                string            `yaml:"provider"`
+	Engine                  string            `yaml:"engine"`
 	PageSize                int               `yaml:"page_size,omitempty"`
 	SSL                     *SSL              `yaml:"ssl,omitempty"`
 	CredsPath               *string           `yaml:"credentials_path,omitempty"`
diff --git a/pkg/server/engine.go b/pkg/server/engine.go
index 0e30050..50f6ab4 100644
--- a/pkg/server/engine.go
+++ b/pkg/server/engine.go
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/topograph/pkg/utils"
 )
 
-var providerName *string
-var engineName *string
+var providerName string
+var engineName string
 
 type asyncController struct {
 	queue *utils.TrailingDelayQueue
@@ -58,9 +58,9 @@ func processTopologyRequest(tr *common.TopologyRequest) ([]byte, *common.HTTPErr
 	// Uses the provider and engine given config if provided, otherwise uses what is given in the topology request.
 	// If neither is given, will throw an error
 	var engName, prvName string
-	if providerName != nil {
-		klog.InfoS("Provider set in config as", "provider", *providerName)
-		prvName = *providerName
+	if len(providerName) != 0 {
+		klog.InfoS("Provider set in config as", "provider", providerName)
+		prvName = providerName
 	} else if len(tr.Provider.Name) != 0 {
 		prvName = tr.Provider.Name
 	} else {
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ func processTopologyRequest(tr *common.TopologyRequest) ([]byte, *common.HTTPErr
 		klog.Error(errString)
 		return nil, common.NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, fmt.Sprint(errString))
 	}
-	if engineName != nil {
-		klog.InfoS("Engine set in config as", "engine", *engineName)
-		engName = *engineName
+	if len(engineName) != 0 {
+		klog.InfoS("Engine set in config as", "engine", engineName)
+		engName = engineName
 	} else if len(tr.Engine.Name) != 0 {
 		engName = tr.Engine.Name
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/server/http_server.go b/pkg/server/http_server.go
index 2c279bf..6868b05 100644
--- a/pkg/server/http_server.go
+++ b/pkg/server/http_server.go
@@ -59,12 +59,9 @@ func InitHttpServer(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	if cfg.Provider != nil {
-		providerName = cfg.Provider
-	}
-	if cfg.Engine != nil {
-		engineName = cfg.Engine
-	}
+	// Saves the provider and engine config parameters
+	providerName = cfg.Provider
+	engineName = cfg.Engine
 }
 
 func GetRunGroup() (func() error, func(error)) {