diff --git a/pkg/managers/pluginmanager/pluginmanager.go b/pkg/managers/pluginmanager/pluginmanager.go
index 15d133382f..8fc02b4c60 100644
--- a/pkg/managers/pluginmanager/pluginmanager.go
+++ b/pkg/managers/pluginmanager/pluginmanager.go
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ func (p *PluginManager) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get conntrack instance")
 	}
+	ct.SetConfig(p.cfg)
 	g.Go(func() error {
 		return errors.Wrapf(ct.Run(ctx), "failed to run conntrack GC")
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/common/common_linux.go b/pkg/plugin/common/common_linux.go
index 92371f9c91..2f43d6dbe0 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/common/common_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/common/common_linux.go
@@ -89,3 +89,16 @@ func NewPerfReader(l *log.ZapLogger, m *ebpf.Map, max, min int) (*perf.Reader, e
 	}
 	return nil, errors.New("failed to create perf reader")
 }
+
+// IsPluginEnabled checks if a given plugin is enabled in the config
+func IsPluginEnabled(enabledPlugins []string, pluginName string) bool {
+	if enabledPlugins == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, plugin := range enabledPlugins {
+		if plugin == pluginName {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_linux.go b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_linux.go
index dc2fb0c449..22c32bcaef 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_linux.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cilium/ebpf"
 	"github.com/cilium/ebpf/rlimit"
 	"github.com/microsoft/retina/internal/ktime"
+	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/loader"
 	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/log"
 	plugincommon "github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/plugin/common"
@@ -46,13 +47,8 @@ func Init() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// New returns a new Conntrack instance.
+// New creates a new Conntrack instance
 func New() (*Conntrack, error) {
-	ct := &Conntrack{
-		l:           log.Logger().Named("conntrack"),
-		gcFrequency: defaultGCFrequency,
-	}
-
 	objs := &conntrackObjects{}
 	err := loadConntrackObjects(objs, &ebpf.CollectionOptions{
 		Maps: ebpf.MapOptions{
@@ -60,16 +56,23 @@ func New() (*Conntrack, error) {
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		ct.l.Error("loadConntrackObjects failed", zap.Error(err))
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to load conntrack objects")
 	}
 
-	ct.objs = objs
-	// Get the conntrack map from the objects
-	ct.ctMap = objs.RetinaConntrack
+	ct := &Conntrack{
+		l:           log.Logger().Named("conntrack"),
+		gcFrequency: defaultGCFrequency,
+		objs:        objs,
+		ctMap:       objs.RetinaConntrack,
+	}
 	return ct, nil
 }
 
+// SetConfig sets the config after initialization
+func (ct *Conntrack) SetConfig(cfg *config.Config) {
+	ct.cfg = cfg
+}
+
 // Build dynamic header path
 func BuildDynamicHeaderPath() string {
 	// Get absolute path to this file during runtime.
@@ -93,6 +96,12 @@ func GenerateDynamic(ctx context.Context, dynamicHeaderPath string, conntrackMet
 
 // Run starts the Conntrack garbage collection loop.
 func (ct *Conntrack) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
+	// Check if packetparser plugin is enabled
+	if !plugincommon.IsPluginEnabled(ct.cfg.EnabledPlugin, "packetparser") {
+		ct.l.Info("Skipping Conntrack GC loop as packetparser plugin is not enabled")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(ct.gcFrequency)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_windows.go b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_windows.go
index df674e2fd5..ebf4afaea5 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/conntrack_windows.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package conntrack
 
 import (
 	"context"
+
+	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/config"
 )
 
 type Conntrack struct{}
@@ -15,3 +17,8 @@ func New() (*Conntrack, error) {
 func (c *Conntrack) Run(_ context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
+
+// SetConfig sets the config after initialization
+func (c *Conntrack) SetConfig(_ *config.Config) {
+	// No-op for Windows
+}
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/types_linux.go b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/types_linux.go
index 63fa7e90a9..1d3fe8b7b6 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/conntrack/types_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/conntrack/types_linux.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cilium/ebpf"
+	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/microsoft/retina/pkg/log"
 )
 
@@ -15,11 +16,13 @@ const (
 	dynamicHeaderFileName = "dynamic.h"
 )
 
+// Conntrack represents the conntrack plugin
 type Conntrack struct {
 	l           *log.ZapLogger
 	objs        *conntrackObjects
 	ctMap       *ebpf.Map
 	gcFrequency time.Duration
+	cfg         *config.Config
 }
 
 // Define TCP flag constants