diff --git a/internal/openvpn/portforward.go b/internal/openvpn/portforward.go
index d026d55b..40db6f3f 100644
--- a/internal/openvpn/portforward.go
+++ b/internal/openvpn/portforward.go
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (l *Loop) startPortForwarding(ctx context.Context,
-	portForwarder provider.PortForwarder, serverName string) {
-	if !l.GetSettings().Provider.PortForwarding.Enabled {
+	enabled bool, portForwarder provider.PortForwarder,
+	serverName string) {
+	if !enabled {
 		return
 	}
+
 	// only used for PIA for now
 	gateway, err := l.routing.VPNLocalGatewayIP()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -33,7 +35,12 @@ func (l *Loop) startPortForwarding(ctx context.Context,
 	}
 }
 
-func (l *Loop) stopPortForwarding(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration) {
+func (l *Loop) stopPortForwarding(ctx context.Context, enabled bool,
+	timeout time.Duration) {
+	if !enabled {
+		return // nothing to stop
+	}
+
 	if timeout > 0 {
 		var cancel context.CancelFunc
 		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
diff --git a/internal/openvpn/run.go b/internal/openvpn/run.go
index 2c7382eb..5e44e9a2 100644
--- a/internal/openvpn/run.go
+++ b/internal/openvpn/run.go
@@ -95,10 +95,12 @@ func (l *Loop) Run(ctx context.Context, done chan<- struct{}) {
 		for stayHere {
 			select {
 			case <-l.startPFCh:
-				l.startPortForwarding(ctx, providerConf, connection.Hostname)
+				l.startPortForwarding(ctx, settings.Provider.PortForwarding.Enabled,
+					providerConf, connection.Hostname)
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				const pfTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
-				l.stopPortForwarding(context.Background(), pfTimeout)
+				l.stopPortForwarding(context.Background(),
+					settings.Provider.PortForwarding.Enabled, pfTimeout)
 				openvpnCancel()
 				<-waitError
 				close(waitError)
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ func (l *Loop) Run(ctx context.Context, done chan<- struct{}) {
 			case <-l.stop:
 				l.userTrigger = true
 				l.logger.Info("stopping")
-				l.stopPortForwarding(ctx, 0)
+				l.stopPortForwarding(ctx, settings.Provider.PortForwarding.Enabled, 0)
 				openvpnCancel()
 				<-waitError
 				// do not close waitError or the waitError
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ func (l *Loop) Run(ctx context.Context, done chan<- struct{}) {
 
 				l.statusManager.Lock() // prevent SetStatus from running in parallel
 
-				l.stopPortForwarding(ctx, 0)
+				l.stopPortForwarding(ctx, settings.Provider.PortForwarding.Enabled, 0)
 				openvpnCancel()
 				l.statusManager.SetStatus(constants.Crashed)
 				l.logAndWait(ctx, err)