diff --git a/config/server.js b/config/server.js
index ef9e5019b..7779a2ec1 100644
--- a/config/server.js
+++ b/config/server.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const config = {
       password: process.env.RCTF_REDIS_PASSWORD,
       database: process.env.RCTF_REDIS_DATABASE
     },
-    migrate: process.env.RCTF_DATABASE_MIGRATE || 'never'
+    migrate: process.env.RCTF_DATABASE_MIGRATE || 'never' // enum: never, before, only
   },
   email: {
     smtpUrl: process.env.RCTF_SMTP_URL,
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ const config = {
   ctftimeClientSecret: process.env.RCTF_CTFTIME_CLIENT_SECRET,
   loginTimeout: 10 * 60 * 1000,
   startTime: parseInt(process.env.RCTF_START_TIME) || Date.now() - 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
-  endTime: parseInt(process.env.RCTF_END_TIME) || Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
+  endTime: parseInt(process.env.RCTF_END_TIME) || Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
+  instanceType: process.env.RCTF_INSTANCE_TYPE || 'all' // enum: all, frontend, leaderboard
 }
 
 module.exports = config
diff --git a/server/app.js b/server/app.js
index fdc238733..b42f0399d 100644
--- a/server/app.js
+++ b/server/app.js
@@ -3,11 +3,8 @@ import express from 'express'
 import helmet from 'helmet'
 import { enableCORS, serveIndex } from './util'
 import { init as uploadProviderInit } from './uploads'
-import { startUpdater as leaderboardStartUpdater } from './leaderboard'
 import api from './api'
 
-leaderboardStartUpdater()
-
 const app = express()
 
 // Compression testing should be done in development only
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index 5b61409ab..bf862b1fa 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import 'dotenv/config'
 
 import config from '../config/server'
 import migrate from './database/migrate'
+import { init as uploadProviderInit } from './uploads'
 
 (async () => {
   if (config.database.migrate === 'before') {
@@ -13,8 +14,17 @@ import migrate from './database/migrate'
     throw new Error('migration config not recognized')
   }
 
-  const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000
+  if (config.instanceType === 'frontend' || config.instanceType === 'all') {
+    const port = process.env.PORT || 3000
 
-  const { default: app } = await import('./app')
-  app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`Started server at port ${PORT}`))
+    const { default: app } = await import('./app')
+    app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Started server at port ${port}`))
+  } else {
+    uploadProviderInit(null)
+  }
+  if (config.instanceType === 'leaderboard' || config.instanceType === 'all') {
+    const { startUpdater } = await import('./leaderboard')
+    startUpdater()
+    console.log('Started leaderboard updater')
+  }
 })()
diff --git a/server/providers/uploads/dummy/index.ts b/server/providers/uploads/dummy/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b448c86fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/providers/uploads/dummy/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { Provider } from '../../../uploads/types'
+
+export default class DummyProvider implements Provider {
+  upload = async (): Promise<string> => ''
+}
diff --git a/server/uploads/index.ts b/server/uploads/index.ts
index 0d0fe679f..989a5747b 100644
--- a/server/uploads/index.ts
+++ b/server/uploads/index.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ import { Provider } from './types'
 
 let provider: Provider = null
 
-export const init = (app: express.Application): void => {
-  const ProviderClass = require(path.join('../providers', config.uploadProvider.name)).default
+export const init = (app: express.Application | null): void => {
+  const name = app === null ? 'uploads/dummy' : config.uploadProvider.name
+  const ProviderClass = require(path.join('../providers', name)).default
   provider = new ProviderClass(config.uploadProvider.options, app)
 }