diff --git a/pkg/runner/command.go b/pkg/runner/command.go
index 9e5f5c1..14da130 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/command.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/command.go
@@ -16,12 +16,7 @@ func (r *RunnerCommand) Config() *Config {
 }
 
 func (r *RunnerCommand) SetConfigDefaults() {
-	if r.RunnerConfig != nil {
-		r.RunnerConfig.SetDefaults()
-	} else {
-		r.RunnerConfig = &Config{}
-		r.RunnerConfig.SetDefaults()
-	}
+	// XXX - Reserved for future use.
 }
 
 func (r *RunnerCommand) UpdatePackageGroup(grp *deb.PackageGroup) error {
@@ -45,10 +40,6 @@ func (r *RunnerCommand) AddToPayload(p *Payload) error {
 }
 
 func (r *RunnerCommand) Env() *EnvBuilder {
-	if r.RunnerConfig == nil {
-		panic("environment cannot be configured if the runner config's defaults haven't been set!")
-	}
-
 	if r.packageGroup == nil {
 		panic("environment cannot be configured if the package group hasn't been updated!")
 	}
@@ -56,7 +47,7 @@ func (r *RunnerCommand) Env() *EnvBuilder {
 	env := NewEnvBuilder()
 	env.SetArray("PACKAGE_LIST", r.packageGroup.Args())
 
-	if r.RunnerConfig.AptLockTimeout != nil {
+	if r.RunnerConfig != nil && r.RunnerConfig.AptLockTimeout != nil {
 		env.SetInt("APT_LOCK_TIMEOUT", *r.RunnerConfig.AptLockTimeout)
 	} else {
 		env.SetInt("APT_LOCK_TIMEOUT", aptLockTimeout)
diff --git a/pkg/runner/config.go b/pkg/runner/config.go
index 725bb89..1e32097 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/config.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/config.go
@@ -14,13 +14,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	KeepPayload    *bool              `pulumi:"keepPayload,optional"`
 }
 
-func (c *Config) SetDefaults() {
-	if c.AptLockTimeout == nil {
-		temp := aptLockTimeout
-		c.AptLockTimeout = &temp
-	}
-}
-
 func (c *Config) UpdatePackageGroup(grp *deb.PackageGroup) error {
 	if c.PackageConfig == nil {
 		return nil