diff --git a/pkg/descheduler/descheduler.go b/pkg/descheduler/descheduler.go
index 59db3b946..0fba7fb0c 100644
--- a/pkg/descheduler/descheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/descheduler/descheduler.go
@@ -278,6 +278,23 @@ func metricsProviderListToMap(providersList []api.MetricsProvider) map[api.Metri
 	return providersMap
 }
 
+// setupPrometheusProvider sets up the prometheus provider on the descheduler if configured
+func setupPrometheusProvider(d *descheduler, namespacedSharedInformerFactory informers.SharedInformerFactory) error {
+	prometheusProvider := d.metricsProviders[api.PrometheusMetrics]
+	if prometheusProvider != nil && prometheusProvider.Prometheus != nil && prometheusProvider.Prometheus.AuthToken != nil {
+		authTokenSecret := prometheusProvider.Prometheus.AuthToken.SecretReference
+		if authTokenSecret == nil || authTokenSecret.Namespace == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("prometheus metrics source configuration is missing authentication token secret")
+		}
+		if namespacedSharedInformerFactory == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("namespacedSharedInformerFactory not configured")
+		}
+		namespacedSharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Secrets().Informer().AddEventHandler(d.eventHandler())
+		d.namespacedSecretsLister = namespacedSharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Secrets().Lister().Secrets(authTokenSecret.Namespace)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newDescheduler(ctx context.Context, rs *options.DeschedulerServer, deschedulerPolicy *api.DeschedulerPolicy, evictionPolicyGroupVersion string, eventRecorder events.EventRecorder, sharedInformerFactory, namespacedSharedInformerFactory informers.SharedInformerFactory) (*descheduler, error) {
 	podInformer := sharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Pods().Informer()
 
@@ -339,19 +356,6 @@ func newDescheduler(ctx context.Context, rs *options.DeschedulerServer, deschedu
 		desch.metricsCollector = metricscollector.NewMetricsCollector(sharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Nodes().Lister(), rs.MetricsClient, nodeSelector)
 	}
 
-	prometheusProvider := desch.metricsProviders[api.PrometheusMetrics]
-	if prometheusProvider != nil && prometheusProvider.Prometheus != nil && prometheusProvider.Prometheus.AuthToken != nil {
-		authTokenSecret := prometheusProvider.Prometheus.AuthToken.SecretReference
-		if authTokenSecret == nil || authTokenSecret.Namespace == "" {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("prometheus metrics source configuration is missing authentication token secret")
-		}
-		if namespacedSharedInformerFactory == nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("namespacedSharedInformerFactory not configured")
-		}
-		namespacedSharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Secrets().Informer().AddEventHandler(desch.eventHandler())
-		desch.namespacedSecretsLister = namespacedSharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Secrets().Lister().Secrets(authTokenSecret.Namespace)
-	}
-
 	return desch, nil
 }
 
@@ -766,6 +770,12 @@ func RunDeschedulerStrategies(ctx context.Context, rs *options.DeschedulerServer
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
 
+	// Setup Prometheus provider (only for real client case, not for dry run)
+	if err := setupPrometheusProvider(descheduler, namespacedSharedInformerFactory); err != nil {
+		span.AddEvent("Failed to setup Prometheus provider", trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("err", err.Error())))
+		return err
+	}
+
 	sharedInformerFactory.Start(ctx.Done())
 	if metricProviderTokenReconciliation == secretReconciliation {
 		namespacedSharedInformerFactory.Start(ctx.Done())
diff --git a/pkg/descheduler/descheduler_test.go b/pkg/descheduler/descheduler_test.go
index b8773151d..e572dc7cb 100644
--- a/pkg/descheduler/descheduler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/descheduler/descheduler_test.go
@@ -202,6 +202,11 @@ func initDescheduler(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, featureGates featuregate
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to create a descheduler instance: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	if err := setupPrometheusProvider(descheduler, nil); err != nil {
+		eventBroadcaster.Shutdown()
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to setup Prometheus provider: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	sharedInformerFactory.Start(ctx.Done())
 	sharedInformerFactory.WaitForCacheSync(ctx.Done())