diff --git a/radicle-node/src/runtime.rs b/radicle-node/src/runtime.rs
index 01ab9972..cf0a5c2f 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/runtime.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/runtime.rs
@@ -235,9 +235,6 @@ impl Runtime {
 
         let nid = *signer.public_key();
         let fetch = worker::FetchConfig {
-            policy,
-            scope,
-            policies_db: home.node().join(node::POLICIES_DB_FILE),
             limit: FetchLimit::default(),
             local: nid,
             expiry: worker::garbage::Expiry::default(),
@@ -251,8 +248,11 @@ impl Runtime {
                 timeout: time::Duration::from_secs(9),
                 storage: storage.clone(),
                 fetch,
+                policy,
+                scope,
+                policies_db: home.node().join(node::POLICIES_DB_FILE),
             },
-        );
+        )?;
         let control = match UnixListener::bind(home.socket()) {
             Ok(sock) => sock,
             Err(err) if err.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AddrInUse => {
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/worker.rs b/radicle-node/src/worker.rs
index 14c7da8b..9f61c648 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/worker.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/worker.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub storage: Storage,
     /// Configuration for performing fetched.
     pub fetch: FetchConfig,
+    /// Default policy, if a policy for a specific node or repository was not found.
+    pub policy: Policy,
+    /// Default scope, if a scope for a specific repository was not found.
+    pub scope: policy::Scope,
+    /// Path to the policies database.
+    pub policies_db: PathBuf,
 }
 
 /// Error returned by fetch.
@@ -154,12 +160,6 @@ pub struct TaskResult {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct FetchConfig {
-    /// Default policy, if a policy for a specific node or repository was not found.
-    pub policy: Policy,
-    /// Default scope, if a scope for a specific repository was not found.
-    pub scope: policy::Scope,
-    /// Path to the policies database.
-    pub policies_db: PathBuf,
     /// Data limits when fetching from a remote.
     pub limit: FetchLimit,
     /// Public key of the local peer.
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ struct Worker {
     fetch_config: FetchConfig,
     tasks: chan::Receiver<Task>,
     handle: Handle,
+    policies: policy::Config<policy::store::Read>,
 }
 
 impl Worker {
@@ -261,13 +262,7 @@ impl Worker {
     }
 
     fn is_authorized(&self, remote: NodeId, rid: Id) -> Result<(), UploadError> {
-        let policy = {
-            let policy = self.fetch_config.policy;
-            let scope = self.fetch_config.scope;
-            let db = &self.fetch_config.policies_db;
-            let policies = policy::Config::new(policy, scope, policy::Store::reader(db)?);
-            policies.repo_policy(&rid)?.policy
-        };
+        let policy = self.policies.repo_policy(&rid)?.policy;
         let repo = self.storage.repository(rid)?;
         let doc = repo.canonical_identity_doc()?;
         if !doc.is_visible_to(&remote) || policy == Policy::Block {
@@ -285,18 +280,14 @@ impl Worker {
         channels: channels::ChannelsFlush,
     ) -> Result<fetch::FetchResult, FetchError> {
         let FetchConfig {
-            policy,
-            scope,
-            policies_db,
             limit,
             local,
             expiry,
         } = &self.fetch_config;
-        let policies = policy::Config::new(*policy, *scope, policy::Store::reader(policies_db)?);
         // N.b. if the `rid` is blocked this will return an error, so
         // we won't continue with any further set up of the fetch.
-        let allowed = radicle_fetch::Allowed::from_config(rid, &policies)?;
-        let blocked = radicle_fetch::BlockList::from_config(&policies)?;
+        let allowed = radicle_fetch::Allowed::from_config(rid, &self.policies)?;
+        let blocked = radicle_fetch::BlockList::from_config(&self.policies)?;
 
         let handle = fetch::Handle::new(rid, *local, &self.storage, allowed, blocked, channels)?;
         let result = handle.fetch(rid, &self.storage, *limit, remote, refs_at)?;
@@ -318,21 +309,32 @@ pub struct Pool {
 
 impl Pool {
     /// Create a new worker pool with the given parameters.
-    pub fn with(tasks: chan::Receiver<Task>, nid: NodeId, handle: Handle, config: Config) -> Self {
+    pub fn with(
+        tasks: chan::Receiver<Task>,
+        nid: NodeId,
+        handle: Handle,
+        config: Config,
+    ) -> Result<Self, policy::Error> {
         let mut pool = Vec::with_capacity(config.capacity);
         for i in 0..config.capacity {
+            let policies = policy::Config::new(
+                config.policy,
+                config.scope,
+                policy::Store::reader(&config.policies_db)?,
+            );
             let worker = Worker {
                 nid,
                 tasks: tasks.clone(),
                 handle: handle.clone(),
                 storage: config.storage.clone(),
                 fetch_config: config.fetch.clone(),
+                policies,
             };
             let thread = thread::spawn(&nid, format!("worker#{i}"), || worker.run());
 
             pool.push(thread);
         }
-        Self { pool }
+        Ok(Self { pool })
     }
 
     /// Run the worker pool.