diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Configuration/Settings/SettingsRepository.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Configuration/Settings/SettingsRepository.cs
index 596a24e0..6343b131 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Configuration/Settings/SettingsRepository.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Configuration/Settings/SettingsRepository.cs
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Configuration.Settings
 
 		public ISettings LoadDefaults()
 		{
-			Current = new Settings();
-			
-			// TODO
+			var settings = new Settings();
 
-			return Current;
+			// TODO
+			settings.ServicePolicy = ServicePolicy.Optional;
+
+			Current = settings;
+
+			return settings;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Contracts/Communication/IServiceProxy.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Contracts/Communication/IServiceProxy.cs
index 257bfab9..4cc033b6 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Contracts/Communication/IServiceProxy.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Contracts/Communication/IServiceProxy.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Contracts.Communication
 {
 	public interface IServiceProxy
 	{
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Instructs the proxy to ignore all operations or simulate a connection, where applicable. To be set e.g. when the service
+		/// policy is optional and the service is not available.
+		/// </summary>
+		bool Ignore { set; }
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Tries to connect to the service host.
 		/// </summary>
diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/BaseProxy.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/BaseProxy.cs
index 78515813..55aa203b 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/BaseProxy.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/BaseProxy.cs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Core.Communication
 
 		private void CommunicationHostProxy_Faulted(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
-			Logger.Error("Communication channel has faulted!");
+			Logger.Debug("Communication channel has faulted!");
 		}
 
 		private string GetChannelState()
diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/ServiceProxy.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/ServiceProxy.cs
index 5df74154..7af22a74 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/ServiceProxy.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Core/Communication/ServiceProxy.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
  */
 
-using System;
 using SafeExamBrowser.Contracts.Communication;
 using SafeExamBrowser.Contracts.Logging;
 using SafeExamBrowser.Core.Communication.Messages;
@@ -15,20 +14,40 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Core.Communication
 {
 	public class ServiceProxy : BaseProxy, IServiceProxy
 	{
+		public bool Ignore { private get; set; }
+
 		public ServiceProxy(ILogger logger, string address) : base(logger, address)
 		{
 		}
 
 		public bool Connect()
 		{
-			throw new NotImplementedException();
+			if (!IgnoreOperation(nameof(Connect)))
+			{
+				return base.Connect().ConnectionEstablished;
+			}
+
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		public void Disconnect()
 		{
-			FailIfNotConnected(nameof(Disconnect));
+			if (!IgnoreOperation(nameof(Disconnect)))
+			{
+				FailIfNotConnected(nameof(Disconnect));
 
-			Disconnect(new Message { CommunicationToken = CommunicationToken.Value });
+				Disconnect(new Message { CommunicationToken = CommunicationToken.Value });
+			}
+		}
+
+		private bool IgnoreOperation(string operationName)
+		{
+			if (Ignore)
+			{
+				Logger.Debug($"Skipping {operationName} because the ignore flag is set.");
+			}
+
+			return Ignore;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperationTests.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperationTests.cs
index 5601250f..02953f5a 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperationTests.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperationTests.cs
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests.Behaviour.Operations
 
 			sut.Perform();
 
+			service.VerifySet(s => s.Ignore = true);
 			Assert.IsFalse(sut.AbortStartup);
 		}
 
@@ -123,6 +124,19 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.UnitTests.Behaviour.Operations
 			service.Verify(s => s.Disconnect(), Times.Exactly(2));
 		}
 
+		[TestMethod]
+		public void MustNotFailWhenDisconnecting()
+		{
+			service.Setup(s => s.Connect()).Returns(true);
+			service.Setup(s => s.Disconnect()).Throws<Exception>();
+			settings.SetupGet(s => s.Current.ServicePolicy).Returns(ServicePolicy.Optional);
+
+			sut.Perform();
+			sut.Revert();
+
+			service.Verify(s => s.Disconnect(), Times.Once);
+		}
+
 		[TestMethod]
 		public void MustNotDisconnnectIfNotAvailable()
 		{
diff --git a/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperation.cs b/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperation.cs
index 84153154..48437fd6 100644
--- a/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperation.cs
+++ b/SafeExamBrowser.Runtime/Behaviour/Operations/ServiceOperation.cs
@@ -60,15 +60,19 @@ namespace SafeExamBrowser.Runtime.Behaviour.Operations
 				}
 			}
 
-			AbortStartup = serviceMandatory && !serviceAvailable;
-
-			if (AbortStartup)
+			if (serviceMandatory && !serviceAvailable)
 			{
+				AbortStartup = true;
 				logger.Info("Aborting startup because the service is mandatory but not available!");
 			}
+			else if (!serviceAvailable)
+			{
+				service.Ignore = true;
+				logger.Info("All service-related operations will be ignored, since the service is optional and not available.");
+			}
 			else
 			{
-				logger.Info($"The service is {(serviceMandatory ? "mandatory" : "optional")} and {(!serviceAvailable ? "not" : "")} available.");
+				logger.Info($"The service is {(serviceMandatory ? "mandatory" : "optional")} and available.");
 			}
 		}