diff --git a/node_helper.js b/node_helper.js
index 4616cd6..9c9337d 100644
--- a/node_helper.js
+++ b/node_helper.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module.exports = NodeHelper.create({
     this.state = { active: false, recipeId: null, recipe: null, error: null };
     this.recipeCache = { expires: 0, recipes: [] };
     this.stateFile = path.join(process.cwd(), "config", "MMM-NextcloudCookbook-state.json");
-    this.client = null;
+    this.configureClient();
     this.registerRoutes();
     this.stateReady = this.loadState().catch((error) => this.setError(error));
   },
@@ -19,16 +19,22 @@ module.exports = NodeHelper.create({
   socketNotificationReceived(notification, payload) {
     if (notification !== "CONFIG") return;
     this.config = { ...this.config, ...payload };
-    this.client = new NextcloudPublicShare({
-      shareUrl: process.env.SECRET_NEXTCLOUD_COOKBOOK_SHARE_URL,
-      password: process.env.SECRET_NEXTCLOUD_COOKBOOK_SHARE_PASSWORD || ""
-    });
     this.stateReady.then(async () => {
       this.sendSocketNotification("STATE", this.publicState());
       await this.restoreRecipe();
     }).catch((error) => this.setError(error));
   },
 
+  configureClient() {
+    const shareUrl = process.env.SECRET_NEXTCLOUD_COOKBOOK_SHARE_URL;
+    this.client = shareUrl
+      ? new NextcloudPublicShare({
+        shareUrl,
+        password: process.env.SECRET_NEXTCLOUD_COOKBOOK_SHARE_PASSWORD || ""
+      })
+      : null;
+  },
+
   registerRoutes() {
     this.expressApp.use("/MMM-NextcloudCookbook/api", express.json({ limit: "16kb" }));
     this.expressApp.get("/MMM-NextcloudCookbook/control", (_request, response) => {