diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index a00c04131a03..1c572afec20f 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	_ "time/tzdata" // embed tzdata as a fallback
 
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 
 	"go.temporal.io/server/common/authorization"
 	"go.temporal.io/server/common/build"
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ import (
 	_ "go.temporal.io/server/common/persistence/sql/sqlplugin/mysql"      // needed to load mysql plugin
 	_ "go.temporal.io/server/common/persistence/sql/sqlplugin/postgresql" // needed to load postgresql plugin
 	_ "go.temporal.io/server/common/persistence/sql/sqlplugin/sqlite"     // needed to load sqlite plugin
+	"go.temporal.io/server/common/primitives"
 	"go.temporal.io/server/temporal"
 )
 
@@ -139,6 +141,15 @@ func buildCLI() *cli.App {
 					return cli.Exit(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to load configuration: %v.", err), 1)
 				}
 
+				if !c.IsSet("service") && !c.IsSet("services") {
+					if _, ok := cfg.Services[string(primitives.InternalFrontendService)]; !ok {
+						// --services is using default value (all services) but internal-frontend
+						// is missing from config. in that case, remove it.
+						i := slices.Index(services, string(primitives.InternalFrontendService))
+						services = slices.Delete(services, i, i+1)
+					}
+				}
+
 				logger := log.NewZapLogger(log.BuildZapLogger(cfg.Log))
 				logger.Info("Build info.",
 					tag.NewTimeTag("git-time", build.InfoData.GitTime),