diff --git a/ludwig/config_validation/checks.py b/ludwig/config_validation/checks.py
index 6d0697015f1..9387048519a 100644
--- a/ludwig/config_validation/checks.py
+++ b/ludwig/config_validation/checks.py
@@ -591,8 +591,6 @@ def _get_llm_model_config(model_name: str) -> AutoConfig:
 def check_llm_quantization_backend_incompatibility(config: "ModelConfig") -> None:  # noqa: F821
     """Checks that LLM model type with quantization uses the local backend."""
     if config.backend is None:
-        if config.model_type == MODEL_LLM and config.quantization:
-            raise ConfigValidationError("LLM with quantization requires the 'local' backend to be set in the config.")
         return
 
     backend_type = config.backend.get("type", "local")
diff --git a/ludwig/globals.py b/ludwig/globals.py
index d99044f4c4e..1cbff49c19e 100644
--- a/ludwig/globals.py
+++ b/ludwig/globals.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 # ==============================================================================
 
-LUDWIG_VERSION = "0.8.1"
+LUDWIG_VERSION = "0.8.1.post1"
 
 MODEL_WEIGHTS_FILE_NAME = "model_weights"
 MODEL_HYPERPARAMETERS_FILE_NAME = "model_hyperparameters.json"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f6cbe1a79ba..959b07f1b74 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name="ludwig",
-    version="0.8.1",
+    version="0.8.1.post1",
     description="Declarative machine learning: End-to-end machine learning pipelines using data-driven configurations.",
     long_description=long_description,
     long_description_content_type="text/markdown",
diff --git a/tests/ludwig/config_validation/test_checks.py b/tests/ludwig/config_validation/test_checks.py
index f4cd92d4c34..fb25c42152f 100644
--- a/tests/ludwig/config_validation/test_checks.py
+++ b/tests/ludwig/config_validation/test_checks.py
@@ -421,8 +421,7 @@ def test_check_llm_quantization_backend_incompatibility():
     ModelConfig.from_dict(config)
 
     del config["backend"]
-    with pytest.raises(ConfigValidationError):
-        ModelConfig.from_dict(config)
+    ModelConfig.from_dict(config)
 
     del config["quantization"]
     config["backend"] = {"type": "ray"}
@@ -444,8 +443,6 @@ def test_check_qlora():
     type: text
 trainer:
   type: finetune
-backend:
-  type: local
 """
     )
 
diff --git a/tests/ludwig/schema/test_model_config.py b/tests/ludwig/schema/test_model_config.py
index 6c2a65470db..8a29cbe6473 100644
--- a/tests/ludwig/schema/test_model_config.py
+++ b/tests/ludwig/schema/test_model_config.py
@@ -847,7 +847,6 @@ def test_llm_quantization_config(bits: Optional[int], expected_qconfig: Optional
         "quantization": {"bits": bits},
         INPUT_FEATURES: [{NAME: "text_input", TYPE: "text"}],
         OUTPUT_FEATURES: [{NAME: "text_output", TYPE: "text"}],
-        "backend": {"type": "local"},
     }
 
     if bits is None: