diff --git a/lib/config/index.ts b/lib/config/index.ts
index a005f9bf1ee8ed..366813c25a0c80 100644
--- a/lib/config/index.ts
+++ b/lib/config/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import * as defaultsParser from './defaults';
 import * as definitions from './definitions';
 import * as envParser from './env';
 import * as fileParser from './file';
-import { resolveConfigPresets } from './presets';
 import type {
   GlobalConfig,
   ManagerConfig,
@@ -47,10 +46,10 @@ export async function parseConfigs(
   logger.debug('Parsing configs');
 
   // Get configs
-  const defaultConfig = await resolveConfigPresets(defaultsParser.getConfig());
-  const fileConfig = await resolveConfigPresets(fileParser.getConfig(env));
-  const cliConfig = await resolveConfigPresets(cliParser.getConfig(argv));
-  const envConfig = await resolveConfigPresets(envParser.getConfig(env));
+  const defaultConfig = defaultsParser.getConfig();
+  const fileConfig = fileParser.getConfig(env);
+  const cliConfig = cliParser.getConfig(argv);
+  const envConfig = envParser.getConfig(env);
 
   let config: GlobalConfig = mergeChildConfig(fileConfig, envConfig);
   config = mergeChildConfig(config, cliConfig);
diff --git a/lib/constants/error-messages.ts b/lib/constants/error-messages.ts
index b032e18fcee8a2..eec1bbff1ecdff 100644
--- a/lib/constants/error-messages.ts
+++ b/lib/constants/error-messages.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export const PLATFORM_RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED = 'rate-limit-exceeded';
 
 // Config Error
 export const CONFIG_VALIDATION = 'config-validation';
+export const CONFIG_PRESETS_INVALID = 'config-presets-invalid';
 export const CONFIG_SECRETS_EXPOSED = 'config-secrets-exposed';
 export const CONFIG_SECRETS_INVALID = 'config-secrets-invalid';
 
diff --git a/lib/workers/global/index.ts b/lib/workers/global/index.ts
index 0d7978fb735f75..d7715983fe8c8c 100644
--- a/lib/workers/global/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/global/index.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ import { satisfies } from 'semver';
 import upath from 'upath';
 import * as pkg from '../../../package.json';
 import * as configParser from '../../config';
+import { resolveConfigPresets } from '../../config/presets';
 import { validateConfigSecrets } from '../../config/secrets';
 import type {
   GlobalConfig,
   RenovateConfig,
   RenovateRepository,
 } from '../../config/types';
+import { CONFIG_PRESETS_INVALID } from '../../constants/error-messages';
 import { getProblems, logger, setMeta } from '../../logger';
 import { setUtilConfig } from '../../util';
 import * as hostRules from '../../util/host-rules';
@@ -70,6 +72,14 @@ function checkEnv(): void {
   }
 }
 
+export async function validatePresets(config: GlobalConfig): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    await resolveConfigPresets(config);
+  } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
+    throw new Error(CONFIG_PRESETS_INVALID);
+  }
+}
+
 export async function start(): Promise<number> {
   let config: GlobalConfig;
   try {
@@ -78,6 +88,8 @@ export async function start(): Promise<number> {
     // initialize all submodules
     config = await globalInitialize(config);
 
+    await validatePresets(config);
+
     checkEnv();
 
     // validate secrets. Will throw and abort if invalid