diff --git a/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.prod.json b/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.prod.json
index 475663f24..4de452228 100644
--- a/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.prod.json
+++ b/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.prod.json
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@
           "valueFrom": "PROD_INCOMING_QUEUE_URL"
         },
         { "name": "JWT_SECRET", "valueFrom": "PROD_JWT_SECRET" },
-        { "name": "KEYCDN_API_KEY", "valueFrom": "PROD_KEYCDN_API_KEY" },
         {
           "name": "MAX_NUM_OTP_ATTEMPTS",
           "valueFrom": "PROD_MAX_NUM_OTP_ATTEMPTS"
@@ -133,11 +132,6 @@
           "name": "REDIRECT_URI",
           "valueFrom": "PROD_REDIRECT_URI"
         },
-        {
-          "name": "REDIRECTION_REPO_GITHUB_TOKEN",
-          "valueFrom": "PROD_REDIRECTION_REPO_GITHUB_TOKEN"
-        },
-        { "name": "REDIS_HOST", "valueFrom": "PROD_REDIS_HOST" },
         {
           "name": "SESSION_SECRET",
           "valueFrom": "PROD_SESSION_SECRET"
diff --git a/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.staging.json b/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.staging.json
index 5c55e8f4d..2dcaa69a4 100644
--- a/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.staging.json
+++ b/.aws/deploy/backend-task-definition.staging.json
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@
           "valueFrom": "STAGING_INCOMING_QUEUE_URL"
         },
         { "name": "JWT_SECRET", "valueFrom": "STAGING_JWT_SECRET" },
-        { "name": "KEYCDN_API_KEY", "valueFrom": "STAGING_KEYCDN_API_KEY" },
         {
           "name": "MAX_NUM_OTP_ATTEMPTS",
           "valueFrom": "STAGING_MAX_NUM_OTP_ATTEMPTS"
@@ -142,11 +141,6 @@
           "name": "REDIRECT_URI",
           "valueFrom": "STAGING_REDIRECT_URI"
         },
-        {
-          "name": "REDIRECTION_REPO_GITHUB_TOKEN",
-          "valueFrom": "STAGING_REDIRECTION_REPO_GITHUB_TOKEN"
-        },
-        { "name": "REDIS_HOST", "valueFrom": "STAGING_REDIS_HOST" },
         {
           "name": "SESSION_SECRET",
           "valueFrom": "STAGING_SESSION_SECRET"
diff --git a/src/config/config.ts b/src/config/config.ts
index 87438fb99..ee6ace999 100644
--- a/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.ts
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ const config = convict({
     redisHostname: {
       doc: "Redis host name for bullmq",
       env: "REDIS_HOST",
-      format: "required-string",
+      format: String,
       default: "isomerpages",
     },
   },
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ const config = convict({
       doc: "Github access to read opengovsg/isomer-redirection",
       env: "REDIRECTION_REPO_GITHUB_TOKEN",
       sensitive: true,
-      format: "required-string",
+      format: String,
       default: "",
     },
   },
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ const config = convict({
     apiKey: {
       doc: "KeyCDN API key",
       env: "KEYCDN_API_KEY",
-      format: "required-string",
+      format: String,
       default: "",
     },
   },
diff --git a/src/monitoring/MonitoringService.ts b/src/monitoring/MonitoringService.ts
index 3a411a9f2..8aa84fada 100644
--- a/src/monitoring/MonitoringService.ts
+++ b/src/monitoring/MonitoringService.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ export default class MonitoringService {
     },
   })
 
-  private readonly worker: Worker<unknown, string, string>
+  private readonly worker: Worker<
+    {
+      name: string
+    },
+    string,
+    string
+  >
 
   private readonly monitoringWorker: MonitoringServiceInterface["monitoringWorker"]
 
@@ -96,9 +102,15 @@ export default class MonitoringService {
       }
     )
 
+    this.worker.on("error", (error: Error) => {
+      logger.error({
+        message: "Monitoring service has errored",
+        error,
+      })
+    })
     this.worker.on("failed", (job: Job | undefined, error: Error) => {
       logger.error({
-        message: "Monitoring service has failed",
+        message: "Monitoring service has errored",
         error,
         meta: {
           ...job?.data,
diff --git a/src/monitoring/MonitoringWorker.ts b/src/monitoring/MonitoringWorker.ts
index 6e092829f..9d2b28668 100644
--- a/src/monitoring/MonitoringWorker.ts
+++ b/src/monitoring/MonitoringWorker.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@ import parentLogger from "@logger/logger"
 
 import config from "@root/config/config"
 import MonitoringError from "@root/errors/MonitoringError"
-import { gb } from "@root/middleware/featureFlag"
 import LaunchesService from "@root/services/identity/LaunchesService"
 import { dnsMonitor } from "@root/utils/dns-utils"
-import { getMonitoringConfig } from "@root/utils/growthbook-utils"
+import {
+  getMonitoringConfig,
+  getNewGrowthbookInstance,
+} from "@root/utils/growthbook-utils"
 import promisifyPapaParse from "@root/utils/papa-parse"
 
 const IsomerHostedDomainType = {
@@ -177,6 +179,10 @@ export default class MonitoringWorker {
   }
 
   driver() {
+    const gb = getNewGrowthbookInstance({
+      clientKey: config.get("growthbook.clientKey"),
+      subscribeToChanges: true,
+    })
     const monitoringConfig = getMonitoringConfig(gb)
     if (!monitoringConfig.isEnabled) {
       this.monitoringWorkerLogger.info("Monitoring Service disabled")
diff --git a/src/utils/dns-utils.ts b/src/utils/dns-utils.ts
index ebc90974c..941899286 100644
--- a/src/utils/dns-utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/dns-utils.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import dns from "node:dns/promises"
 
 import { err, errAsync, ok, okAsync, Result, ResultAsync } from "neverthrow"
 
+import config from "@root/config/config"
 import {
   BUILT_WITH_ISOMER_LOGO,
   DNS_CNAME_SUFFIXES,
@@ -11,9 +12,11 @@ import {
 } from "@root/constants"
 import MonitoringError from "@root/errors/MonitoringError"
 import logger from "@root/logger/logger"
-import { gb } from "@root/middleware/featureFlag"
 
-import { getMonitoringConfig } from "./growthbook-utils"
+import {
+  getMonitoringConfig,
+  getNewGrowthbookInstance,
+} from "./growthbook-utils"
 
 export function checkCname(domain: string) {
   return ResultAsync.fromPromise(dns.resolveCname(domain), () => {
@@ -28,11 +31,6 @@ export function checkCname(domain: string) {
         return okAsync(null)
       }
 
-      //! todo: remove, this is some colima weird logic
-      if (cname.length === 1 && cname[0] === domain) {
-        return okAsync(null)
-      }
-
       return okAsync(cname[0])
     })
     .orElse(() => okAsync(null))
@@ -305,7 +303,10 @@ export function dnsMonitor(domain: string): ResultAsync<string, string> {
                 `${domainCheckerRes}\nThe site is still being hosted with Isomer logo, and is likely still viewable by MOP`
               )
             }
-
+            const gb = getNewGrowthbookInstance({
+              clientKey: config.get("growthbook.clientKey"),
+              subscribeToChanges: true,
+            })
             const monitoringConfig = getMonitoringConfig(gb)
 
             const isWeirdDomain = monitoringConfig.whitelistedRepos.includes(
diff --git a/support/index.ts b/support/index.ts
index 6568d5fa7..393bd9ccc 100644
--- a/support/index.ts
+++ b/support/index.ts
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@ infraService.pollMessages()
 export const monitoringWorker = new MonitoringWorker({
   launchesService,
 })
-// dnsMonitor("isomer.gov.sg").mapErr(console.log).map(console.log)
-// todo: remove after testing
-monitoringWorker.driver()
 
 export const monitoringService = new MonitoringService({
   monitoringWorker,