diff --git a/accounts/pkg/command/server.go b/accounts/pkg/command/server.go
index 0378c39cd9..6dbabfaffa 100644
--- a/accounts/pkg/command/server.go
+++ b/accounts/pkg/command/server.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ func Server(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
 				cfg.HTTP.Root = strings.TrimSuffix(cfg.HTTP.Root, "/")
 			}
 
+			cfg.Repo.Backend = strings.ToLower(cfg.Repo.Backend)
+
 			// When running on single binary mode the before hook from the root command won't get called. We manually
 			// call this before hook from ocis command, so the configuration can be loaded.
 			if !cfg.Supervised {
diff --git a/accounts/pkg/flagset/flagset.go b/accounts/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
index fc29ca6d1c..abc32ec571 100644
--- a/accounts/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
+++ b/accounts/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func ServerWithConfig(cfg *config.Config) []cli.Flag {
 		},
 		&cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:        "storage-backend",
-			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Repo.Disk.Path, "CS3"),
+			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Repo.Backend, "CS3"),
 			Usage:       "Which backend to use to store accounts data (CS3 or disk)",
 			EnvVars:     []string{"ACCOUNTS_STORAGE_BACKEND"},
 			Destination: &cfg.Repo.Backend,
diff --git a/accounts/pkg/proto/v0/accounts.pb.micro_test.go b/accounts/pkg/proto/v0/accounts.pb.micro_test.go
index fa2ec37580..bcd53c9746 100644
--- a/accounts/pkg/proto/v0/accounts.pb.micro_test.go
+++ b/accounts/pkg/proto/v0/accounts.pb.micro_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ func init() {
 	)
 
 	cfg := config.New()
+	cfg.Repo.Backend = "disk"
 	cfg.Repo.Disk.Path = dataPath
 	cfg.Server.DemoUsersAndGroups = true
 	var hdlr *svc.Service
diff --git a/accounts/pkg/service/v0/accounts_permission_test.go b/accounts/pkg/service/v0/accounts_permission_test.go
index 6ebe751404..477369b663 100644
--- a/accounts/pkg/service/v0/accounts_permission_test.go
+++ b/accounts/pkg/service/v0/accounts_permission_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ var (
 func init() {
 	cfg := config.New()
 	cfg.Server.Name = "accounts"
+	cfg.Repo.Backend = "disk"
 	cfg.Repo.Disk.Path = dataPath
 	logger := olog.NewLogger(olog.Color(true), olog.Pretty(true))
 	roleServiceMock = buildRoleServiceMock()
diff --git a/accounts/pkg/service/v0/service.go b/accounts/pkg/service/v0/service.go
index ffedcb5f6e..b95455204b 100644
--- a/accounts/pkg/service/v0/service.go
+++ b/accounts/pkg/service/v0/service.go
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ package service
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/service/grpc"
 
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/accounts/pkg/storage"
@@ -48,17 +49,22 @@ func New(opts ...Option) (s *Service, err error) {
 		roleManager = &m
 	}
 
+	storage, err := createMetadataStorage(cfg, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not create metadata storage")
+	}
+
 	s = &Service{
 		id:          cfg.GRPC.Namespace + "." + cfg.Server.Name,
 		log:         logger,
 		Config:      cfg,
 		RoleService: roleService,
 		RoleManager: roleManager,
-		repo:        createMetadataStorage(cfg, logger),
+		repo:        storage,
 	}
 
 	r := oreg.GetRegistry()
-	if strings.ToLower(cfg.Repo.Backend) != "disk" {
+	if cfg.Repo.Backend == "cs3" {
 		if _, err := r.GetService("com.owncloud.storage.metadata"); err != nil {
 			logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("index: storage-metadata service not present")
 			return nil, err
@@ -113,40 +119,41 @@ func configFromSvc(cfg *config.Config) (*idxcfg.Config, error) {
 		}
 	}(cfg)
 
-	if (config.Repo{}) != cfg.Repo {
-		if (config.Disk{}) != cfg.Repo.Disk {
-			c.Repo = idxcfg.Repo{
-				Disk: idxcfg.Disk{
-					Path: cfg.Repo.Disk.Path,
-				},
-			}
+	switch cfg.Repo.Backend {
+	case "disk":
+		c.Repo = idxcfg.Repo{
+			Backend: cfg.Repo.Backend,
+			Disk: idxcfg.Disk{
+				Path: cfg.Repo.Disk.Path,
+			},
 		}
+	case "cs3":
+		c.Repo = idxcfg.Repo{
+			Backend: cfg.Repo.Backend,
+			CS3: idxcfg.CS3{
+				ProviderAddr: cfg.Repo.CS3.ProviderAddr,
+				DataURL:      cfg.Repo.CS3.DataURL,
+				DataPrefix:   cfg.Repo.CS3.DataPrefix,
+				JWTSecret:    cfg.Repo.CS3.JWTSecret,
+			},
+		}
+	default:
+		return nil, errors.New("index backend " + cfg.Repo.Backend + " is not supported")
+	}
 
-		if (config.CS3{}) != cfg.Repo.CS3 {
-			c.Repo = idxcfg.Repo{
-				CS3: idxcfg.CS3{
-					ProviderAddr: cfg.Repo.CS3.ProviderAddr,
-					DataURL:      cfg.Repo.CS3.DataURL,
-					DataPrefix:   cfg.Repo.CS3.DataPrefix,
-					JWTSecret:    cfg.Repo.CS3.JWTSecret,
-				},
-			}
+	if (config.Index{}) != cfg.Index {
+		c.Index = idxcfg.Index{
+			UID: idxcfg.Bound{
+				Lower: cfg.Index.UID.Lower,
+			},
+			GID: idxcfg.Bound{
+				Lower: cfg.Index.GID.Lower,
+			},
 		}
+	}
 
-		if (config.Index{}) != cfg.Index {
-			c.Index = idxcfg.Index{
-				UID: idxcfg.Bound{
-					Lower: cfg.Index.UID.Lower,
-				},
-				GID: idxcfg.Bound{
-					Lower: cfg.Index.GID.Lower,
-				},
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (config.ServiceUser{}) != cfg.ServiceUser {
-			c.ServiceUser = cfg.ServiceUser
-		}
+	if (config.ServiceUser{}) != cfg.ServiceUser {
+		c.ServiceUser = cfg.ServiceUser
 	}
 
 	return c, nil
@@ -417,17 +424,19 @@ func (s Service) createDefaultGroups(withDemoGroups bool) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func createMetadataStorage(cfg *config.Config, logger log.Logger) storage.Repo {
-	// for now we detect the used storage implementation based on which storage is configured
-	// the config with defaults needs to be checked last
-	if cfg.Repo.Disk.Path != "" {
-		return storage.NewDiskRepo(cfg, logger)
+func createMetadataStorage(cfg *config.Config, logger log.Logger) (storage.Repo, error) {
+	switch cfg.Repo.Backend {
+	case "disk":
+		return storage.NewDiskRepo(cfg, logger), nil
+	case "cs3":
+		repo, err := storage.NewCS3Repo(cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cs3 backend was configured but failed to start")
+		}
+		return repo, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, errors.New("backend type " + cfg.Repo.Backend + " is not supported")
 	}
-	repo, err := storage.NewCS3Repo(cfg)
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("cs3 storage was configured but failed to start")
-	}
-	return repo
 }
 
 // Service implements the AccountsServiceHandler interface
diff --git a/ocis-pkg/indexer/config/config.go b/ocis-pkg/indexer/config/config.go
index b718f560c6..5d2b23f716 100644
--- a/ocis-pkg/indexer/config/config.go
+++ b/ocis-pkg/indexer/config/config.go
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ import (
 
 // Repo defines which storage implementation is to be used.
 type Repo struct {
-	Disk Disk
-	CS3  CS3
+	Backend string
+	Disk    Disk
+	CS3     CS3
 }
 
 // Disk is the local disk implementation of the storage.
diff --git a/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/non_unique_test.go b/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/non_unique_test.go
index b9f592d612..5d0a25ca08 100644
--- a/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/non_unique_test.go
+++ b/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/non_unique_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func getNonUniqueIdxSut(t *testing.T, entity interface{}, indexBy string) (index
 	dataPath, _ := WriteIndexTestData(Data, "ID", "")
 	cfg := config.Config{
 		Repo: config.Repo{
+			Backend: "disk",
 			Disk: config.Disk{
 				Path: dataPath,
 			},
diff --git a/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/unique_test.go b/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/unique_test.go
index 2ecbfbe17e..fca28895ec 100644
--- a/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/unique_test.go
+++ b/ocis-pkg/indexer/index/disk/unique_test.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func getUniqueIdxSut(t *testing.T, indexBy string, entityType interface{}) (inde
 	dataPath, _ := WriteIndexTestData(Data, "ID", "")
 	cfg := config.Config{
 		Repo: config.Repo{
+			Backend: "disk",
 			Disk: config.Disk{
 				Path: dataPath,
 			},
diff --git a/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer.go b/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer.go
index 51a9967d44..1517734429 100644
--- a/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer.go
+++ b/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer.go
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ package indexer
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/sync"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/sync"
+
 	"github.com/CiscoM31/godata"
 	"github.com/iancoleman/strcase"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/indexer/config"
@@ -39,14 +40,6 @@ func CreateIndexer(cfg *config.Config) *Indexer {
 	}
 }
 
-func getRegistryStrategy(cfg *config.Config) string {
-	if cfg.Repo.Disk.Path != "" {
-		return "disk"
-	}
-
-	return "cs3"
-}
-
 // Reset takes care of deleting all indices from storage and from the internal map of indices
 func (i *Indexer) Reset() error {
 	for j := range i.indices {
@@ -66,11 +59,10 @@ func (i *Indexer) Reset() error {
 
 // AddIndex adds a new index to the indexer receiver.
 func (i *Indexer) AddIndex(t interface{}, indexBy, pkName, entityDirName, indexType string, bound *option.Bound, caseInsensitive bool) error {
-	strategy := getRegistryStrategy(i.config)
-	f := registry.IndexConstructorRegistry[strategy][indexType]
+	f := registry.IndexConstructorRegistry[i.config.Repo.Backend][indexType]
 	var idx index.Index
 
-	if strategy == "cs3" {
+	if i.config.Repo.Backend == "cs3" {
 		idx = f(
 			option.CaseInsensitive(caseInsensitive),
 			option.WithEntity(t),
diff --git a/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer_test.go b/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer_test.go
index 47440f1a27..baf27a5117 100644
--- a/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer_test.go
+++ b/ocis-pkg/indexer/indexer_test.go
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@ func TestQueryDiskImpl(t *testing.T) {
 func createDiskIndexer(dataDir string) *Indexer {
 	return CreateIndexer(&config.Config{
 		Repo: config.Repo{
+			Backend: "disk",
 			Disk: config.Disk{
 				Path: dataDir,
 			},
diff --git a/ocs/pkg/server/http/svc_test.go b/ocs/pkg/server/http/svc_test.go
index 28d4f4d1fd..ee896414fc 100644
--- a/ocs/pkg/server/http/svc_test.go
+++ b/ocs/pkg/server/http/svc_test.go
@@ -542,6 +542,7 @@ func init() {
 			DemoUsersAndGroups: true,
 		},
 		Repo: accountsCfg.Repo{
+			Backend: "disk",
 			Disk: accountsCfg.Disk{
 				Path: dataPath,
 			},