diff --git a/pkg/mgrconfig/load.go b/pkg/mgrconfig/load.go
index b92d6a4211e1..4e01cbd5fe62 100644
--- a/pkg/mgrconfig/load.go
+++ b/pkg/mgrconfig/load.go
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ func Complete(cfg *Config) error {
 	}
 	cfg.initTimeouts()
 	cfg.VMLess = cfg.Type == "none"
+
+	if cfg.VMLess && cfg.Reproduce {
+		return fmt.Errorf("if config param type is none, reproduce must be false")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/syz-manager/manager.go b/syz-manager/manager.go
index 67af3bb29fc2..79f9e95d6479 100644
--- a/syz-manager/manager.go
+++ b/syz-manager/manager.go
@@ -1343,7 +1343,8 @@ func (mgr *Manager) setPhaseLocked(newPhase int) {
 	if mgr.phase == newPhase {
 		panic("repeated phase update")
 	}
-	if newPhase == phaseTriagedHub {
+	// In VMLess mode, mgr.reproLoop is nil.
+	if newPhase == phaseTriagedHub && mgr.reproLoop != nil {
 		// Start reproductions.
 		go mgr.reproLoop.Loop(vm.ShutdownCtx())
 	}