diff --git a/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/persistence/LocalPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java b/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/persistence/LocalPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
index 429cbb5eb4..7350b6b536 100644
--- a/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/persistence/LocalPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
+++ b/polaris-core/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/core/persistence/LocalPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
@@ -118,6 +118,11 @@ public synchronized Map<String, PrincipalSecretsResult> bootstrapRealms(
         PrincipalSecretsResult secretsResult =
             bootstrapServiceAndCreatePolarisPrincipalForRealm(
                 realmContext, metaStoreManagerMap.get(realmContext.getRealmIdentifier()));
+
+        if (rootCredentialsSet.credentials().containsKey(realm)) {
+          LOGGER.info("Bootstrapped realm {} using preset credentials.", realm);
+        }
+
         results.put(realmContext.getRealmIdentifier(), secretsResult);
       }
     }
diff --git a/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/config/QuarkusProducers.java b/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/config/QuarkusProducers.java
index 16b7439791..ffab9a9412 100644
--- a/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/config/QuarkusProducers.java
+++ b/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/config/QuarkusProducers.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.MetaStoreManagerFactory;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.PolarisEntityManager;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.PolarisMetaStoreManager;
+import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.bootstrap.RootCredentialsSet;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.storage.cache.StorageCredentialCache;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.auth.ActiveRolesProvider;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.auth.Authenticator;
@@ -55,7 +56,6 @@
 import org.apache.polaris.service.context.RealmContextConfiguration;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.context.RealmContextFilter;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.context.RealmContextResolver;
-import org.apache.polaris.service.persistence.InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.quarkus.auth.QuarkusAuthenticationConfiguration;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.quarkus.catalog.io.QuarkusFileIOConfiguration;
 import org.apache.polaris.service.quarkus.context.QuarkusRealmContextConfiguration;
@@ -154,12 +154,14 @@ public MetaStoreManagerFactory metaStoreManagerFactory(
    * Eagerly initialize the in-memory default realm on startup, so that users can check the
    * credentials printed to stdout immediately.
    */
-  public void maybeInitializeInMemoryRealm(
+  public void maybeBootstrap(
       @Observes StartupEvent event,
       MetaStoreManagerFactory factory,
+      QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration config,
       RealmContextConfiguration realmContextConfiguration) {
-    if (factory instanceof InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory) {
-      ((InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory) factory).onStartup(realmContextConfiguration);
+    if (config.isAutoBootstrap()) {
+      RootCredentialsSet rootCredentialsSet = RootCredentialsSet.fromEnvironment();
+      factory.bootstrapRealms(realmContextConfiguration.realms(), rootCredentialsSet);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/persistence/QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration.java b/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/persistence/QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration.java
index 5c3223f696..db5d84ebfc 100644
--- a/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/persistence/QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration.java
+++ b/quarkus/service/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/quarkus/persistence/QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 import io.quarkus.runtime.annotations.StaticInitSafe;
 import io.smallrye.config.ConfigMapping;
+import io.smallrye.config.WithDefault;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 @StaticInitSafe
 @ConfigMapping(prefix = "polaris.persistence")
@@ -30,4 +32,11 @@ public interface QuarkusPersistenceConfiguration {
    * org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.MetaStoreManagerFactory} identifier.
    */
   String type();
+
+  @WithDefault("in-memory")
+  Set<String> autoBootstrapTypes();
+
+  default boolean isAutoBootstrap() {
+    return autoBootstrapTypes().contains(type());
+  }
 }
diff --git a/service/common/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/persistence/InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java b/service/common/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/persistence/InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
index c65c84d196..2d51dcd539 100644
--- a/service/common/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/persistence/InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
+++ b/service/common/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/service/persistence/InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@
 import org.apache.polaris.core.context.RealmContext;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.LocalPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.PolarisMetaStoreManager;
+import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.bootstrap.RootCredentials;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.bootstrap.RootCredentialsSet;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.dao.entity.PrincipalSecretsResult;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.transactional.TransactionalPersistence;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.transactional.TreeMapMetaStore;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.persistence.transactional.TreeMapTransactionalPersistenceImpl;
 import org.apache.polaris.core.storage.PolarisStorageIntegrationProvider;
-import org.apache.polaris.service.context.RealmContextConfiguration;
 
 @ApplicationScoped
 @Identifier("in-memory")
@@ -59,10 +59,6 @@ public InMemoryPolarisMetaStoreManagerFactory(
     this.storageIntegration = storageIntegration;
   }
 
-  public void onStartup(RealmContextConfiguration realmContextConfiguration) {
-    bootstrapRealmsAndPrintCredentials(realmContextConfiguration.realms());
-  }
-
   @Override
   protected TreeMapMetaStore createBackingStore(@Nonnull PolarisDiagnostics diagnostics) {
     return new TreeMapMetaStore(diagnostics);
@@ -100,10 +96,22 @@ public synchronized Supplier<TransactionalPersistence> getOrCreateSessionSupplie
 
   private void bootstrapRealmsAndPrintCredentials(List<String> realms) {
     RootCredentialsSet rootCredentialsSet = RootCredentialsSet.fromEnvironment();
-    Map<String, PrincipalSecretsResult> results = this.bootstrapRealms(realms, rootCredentialsSet);
+    this.bootstrapRealms(realms, rootCredentialsSet);
     bootstrappedRealms.addAll(realms);
+  }
 
+  @Override
+  public Map<String, PrincipalSecretsResult> bootstrapRealms(
+      Iterable<String> realms, RootCredentialsSet rootCredentialsSet) {
+    Map<String, PrincipalSecretsResult> results = super.bootstrapRealms(realms, rootCredentialsSet);
+
+    Map<String, RootCredentials> presetCredentials = rootCredentialsSet.credentials();
     for (String realmId : realms) {
+      if (presetCredentials.containsKey(realmId)) {
+        // Credentials provided in the runtime env... no need to print
+        continue;
+      }
+
       PrincipalSecretsResult principalSecrets = results.get(realmId);
 
       String msg =
@@ -114,5 +122,7 @@ private void bootstrapRealmsAndPrintCredentials(List<String> realms) {
               principalSecrets.getPrincipalSecrets().getMainSecret());
       System.out.println(msg);
     }
+
+    return results;
   }
 }