diff --git a/llama_stack/templates/starter/run.yaml b/llama_stack/templates/starter/run.yaml
index aee334b51..37f4e4c0b 100644
--- a/llama_stack/templates/starter/run.yaml
+++ b/llama_stack/templates/starter/run.yaml
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ providers:
     config:
       base_url: https://api.cerebras.ai
       api_key: ${env.CEREBRAS_API_KEY:=}
-  - provider_id: ollama
+  - provider_id: ${env.ENABLE_OLLAMA:=__disabled__}
     provider_type: remote::ollama
     config:
       url: ${env.OLLAMA_URL:=http://localhost:11434}
-  - provider_id: vllm
+  - provider_id: ${env.ENABLE_VLLM:=__disabled__}
     provider_type: remote::vllm
     config:
       url: ${env.VLLM_URL:=http://localhost:8000/v1}
@@ -862,9 +862,9 @@ models:
   provider_id: ${env.ENABLE_SENTENCE_TRANSFORMERS:=sentence-transformers}
   model_type: embedding
 shields:
-- shield_id: ollama
+- shield_id: ${env.ENABLE_OLLAMA:=__disabled__}
   provider_id: llama-guard
-  provider_shield_id: ollama/${env.SAFETY_MODEL:=llama-guard3:1b}
+  provider_shield_id: ${env.ENABLE_OLLAMA:=__disabled__}/${env.SAFETY_MODEL:=llama-guard3:1b}
 - shield_id: fireworks
   provider_id: llama-guard
   provider_shield_id: fireworks/${env.SAFETY_MODEL:=accounts/fireworks/models/llama-guard-3-8b}
diff --git a/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py b/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
index d7218b26e..8b93c3a4b 100644
--- a/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
+++ b/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ REMOTE_INFERENCE_PROVIDERS_FOR_STARTER = {
     "vllm",
 }
 
+DEFAULT_DISABLED_PROVIDERS = {
+    "ollama",
+    "vllm",
+}
+
 
 def _get_model_entries_for_provider(provider_type: str) -> list[ProviderModelEntry]:
     """Get model entries for a specific provider type."""
@@ -232,9 +237,17 @@ def get_remote_inference_providers() -> tuple[list[Provider], dict[str, list[Pro
         model_entries = _get_model_entries_for_provider(provider_type)
         config = _get_config_for_provider(provider_spec)
 
+        if provider_type in DEFAULT_DISABLED_PROVIDERS:
+            # For default disabled providers, we set id to be in the form of ${env.ENABLE_OLLAMA:=__disabled__}
+            # And allow this to be enabled explicitly by user by setting the environment variables
+            env_var = f"ENABLE_{provider_type.upper().replace('-', '_').replace('::', '_')}"
+            provider_id = f"${{env.{env_var}:=__disabled__}}"
+        else:
+            provider_id = provider_type
+
         inference_providers.append(
             Provider(
-                provider_id=provider_type,
+                provider_id=provider_id,
                 provider_type=f"remote::{provider_type}",
                 config=config,
             )