diff --git a/changelog/pending/20221201--sdk-nodejs--fix-regression-when-passing-a-provider-to-a-mlc.yaml b/changelog/pending/20221201--sdk-nodejs--fix-regression-when-passing-a-provider-to-a-mlc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..510d02e39772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/pending/20221201--sdk-nodejs--fix-regression-when-passing-a-provider-to-a-mlc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+changes:
+- type: fix
+  scope: sdk/nodejs
+  description: Fix regression when passing a provider to a MLC
diff --git a/sdk/nodejs/runtime/resource.ts b/sdk/nodejs/runtime/resource.ts
index 443bdd75c7ce..a4b12e831b9e 100644
--- a/sdk/nodejs/runtime/resource.ts
+++ b/sdk/nodejs/runtime/resource.ts
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ async function prepareResource(label: string, res: Resource, parent: Resource |
 
         let providerRef: string | undefined;
         let importID: ID | undefined;
-        if (custom || remote) {
+        if (custom) {
             const customOpts = <CustomResourceOptions>opts;
             importID = customOpts.import;
             providerRef = await ProviderResource.register(opts.provider);
diff --git a/sdk/nodejs/tests/runtime/langhost/run.spec.ts b/sdk/nodejs/tests/runtime/langhost/run.spec.ts
index 73d9b35e1e05..53df7166b0d9 100644
--- a/sdk/nodejs/tests/runtime/langhost/run.spec.ts
+++ b/sdk/nodejs/tests/runtime/langhost/run.spec.ts
@@ -1214,6 +1214,7 @@ describe("rpc", () => {
                                propertyDeps?: any, ignoreChanges?: string[], version?: string, importID?: string,
                                replaceOnChanges?: string[], providers?: any) => {
                 if (name === "singular" || name === "map" || name === "array") {
+                    assert.strictEqual(provider, "");
                     assert.deepStrictEqual(Object.keys(providers), ["test"]);
                 }
                 return { urn: makeUrn(t, name), id: undefined, props: undefined };