diff --git a/authentik/lib/config.go b/authentik/lib/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f595f2423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/authentik/lib/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package lib
+
+import _ "embed"
+
+//go:embed default.yml
+var defaultConfig []byte
+
+func DefaultConfig() []byte {
+	return defaultConfig
+}
diff --git a/authentik/sources/oauth/api/source.py b/authentik/sources/oauth/api/source.py
index 6c9399f95..4b1785a54 100644
--- a/authentik/sources/oauth/api/source.py
+++ b/authentik/sources/oauth/api/source.py
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ class OAuthSourceSerializer(SourceSerializer):
                 well_known_config = session.get(well_known)
                 well_known_config.raise_for_status()
             except RequestException as exc:
-                raise ValidationError(exc.response.text)
+                text = exc.response.text if exc.response else str(exc)
+                raise ValidationError(text)
             config = well_known_config.json()
             try:
                 attrs["authorization_url"] = config["authorization_endpoint"]
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ class OAuthSourceSerializer(SourceSerializer):
                 jwks_config = session.get(jwks_url)
                 jwks_config.raise_for_status()
             except RequestException as exc:
-                raise ValidationError(exc.response.text)
+                text = exc.response.text if exc.response else str(exc)
+                raise ValidationError(text)
             config = jwks_config.json()
             attrs["oidc_jwks"] = config
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 4a1013e4a..ac37d277e 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	_ "embed"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
@@ -11,13 +12,16 @@ import (
 
 	env "github.com/Netflix/go-env"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"goauthentik.io/authentik/lib"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
 var cfg *Config
 
+const defaultConfigPath = "./authentik/lib/default.yml"
+
 func getConfigPaths() []string {
-	configPaths := []string{"./authentik/lib/default.yml", "/etc/authentik/config.yml", ""}
+	configPaths := []string{defaultConfigPath, "/etc/authentik/config.yml", ""}
 	globConfigPaths, _ := filepath.Glob("/etc/authentik/config.d/*.yml")
 	configPaths = append(configPaths, globConfigPaths...)
 
@@ -63,20 +67,36 @@ func Get() *Config {
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Setup(paths ...string) {
+	// initially try to load the default config which is compiled in
+	err := c.LoadConfig(lib.DefaultConfig())
+	// this should never fail
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("failed to load inbuilt config: %v", err))
+	}
+	log.WithField("path", "inbuilt-default").Debug("Loaded config")
 	for _, path := range paths {
-		err := c.LoadConfig(path)
+		err := c.LoadConfigFromFile(path)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.WithError(err).Info("failed to load config, skipping")
 		}
 	}
-	err := c.fromEnv()
+	err = c.fromEnv()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Info("failed to load env vars")
 	}
 	c.configureLogger()
 }
 
-func (c *Config) LoadConfig(path string) error {
+func (c *Config) LoadConfig(raw []byte) error {
+	err := yaml.Unmarshal(raw, c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse YAML: %w", err)
+	}
+	c.walkScheme(c)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Config) LoadConfigFromFile(path string) error {
 	raw, err := os.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
@@ -84,11 +104,10 @@ func (c *Config) LoadConfig(path string) error {
 		}
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config file: %w", err)
 	}
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(raw, c)
+	err = c.LoadConfig(raw)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse YAML: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
-	c.walkScheme(c)
 	log.WithField("path", path).Debug("Loaded config")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/application.go b/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/application.go
index 324909562..3c8af5af3 100644
--- a/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/application.go
+++ b/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/application.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ type Application struct {
 
 	errorTemplates  *template.Template
 	authHeaderCache *ttlcache.Cache[string, Claims]
+
+	isEmbedded bool
 }
 
 type Server interface {
@@ -86,15 +88,15 @@ func NewApplication(p api.ProxyOutpostConfig, c *http.Client, server Server) (*A
 		CallbackSignature: []string{"true"},
 	}.Encode()
 
-	managed := false
+	isEmbedded := false
 	if m := server.API().Outpost.Managed.Get(); m != nil {
-		managed = *m == "goauthentik.io/outposts/embedded"
+		isEmbedded = *m == "goauthentik.io/outposts/embedded"
 	}
 	// Configure an OpenID Connect aware OAuth2 client.
 	endpoint := GetOIDCEndpoint(
 		p,
 		server.API().Outpost.Config["authentik_host"].(string),
-		managed,
+		isEmbedded,
 	)
 
 	verifier := oidc.NewVerifier(endpoint.Issuer, ks, &oidc.Config{
@@ -132,6 +134,7 @@ func NewApplication(p api.ProxyOutpostConfig, c *http.Client, server Server) (*A
 		ak:                   server.API(),
 		authHeaderCache:      ttlcache.New(ttlcache.WithDisableTouchOnHit[string, Claims]()),
 		srv:                  server,
+		isEmbedded:           isEmbedded,
 	}
 	go a.authHeaderCache.Start()
 	a.sessions = a.getStore(p, externalHost)
diff --git a/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/session.go b/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/session.go
index a6c36ae73..bf426c10e 100644
--- a/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/session.go
+++ b/internal/outpost/proxyv2/application/session.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func (a *Application) getStore(p api.ProxyOutpostConfig, externalHost *url.URL)
 		// Add one to the validity to ensure we don't have a session with indefinite length
 		maxAge = int(*t) + 1
 	}
-	if config.Get().Redis.Host != "" {
+	if a.isEmbedded {
 		rs, err := redistore.NewRediStoreWithDB(10, "tcp", fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", config.Get().Redis.Host, config.Get().Redis.Port), config.Get().Redis.Password, strconv.Itoa(config.Get().Redis.DB))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)