diff --git a/src/ert/config/ert_config.py b/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
index e4a7efa220e..cf3ad9881be 100644
--- a/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
+++ b/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
     parse,
 )
 from .queue_config import QueueConfig
+from .summary_config import SummaryConfig
 from .workflow import Workflow
 from .workflow_job import ErtScriptLoadFailure, WorkflowJob
 
@@ -272,6 +273,31 @@ def from_dict(cls, config_dict) -> Self:
         for key, val in config_dict.get("SETENV", []):
             env_vars[key] = val
 
+        forward_model_steps = cls._create_list_of_forward_model_steps_to_run(
+            installed_forward_model_steps,
+            substitution_list,
+            config_dict,
+        )
+
+        simulation_step_exists = False
+        for step in forward_model_steps:
+            for name in ["eclipse", "flow"]:
+                if name in step.name.lower():
+                    simulation_step_exists = True
+                    break
+            if simulation_step_exists:
+                break
+
+        has_summary_config = any(
+            isinstance(config, SummaryConfig)
+            for config in ensemble_config.response_configuration
+        )
+
+        if has_summary_config and not simulation_step_exists:
+            ConfigWarning.warn(
+                "Config contians a SUMMARY key but no simulation job known to generate a summary file detected in the forward model"
+            )
+
         return cls(
             substitution_list=substitution_list,
             ensemble_config=ensemble_config,
diff --git a/test-data/snake_oil_field/snake_oil_surface.ert b/test-data/snake_oil_field/snake_oil_surface.ert
index aa4177bfb23..9f5d339b42a 100644
--- a/test-data/snake_oil_field/snake_oil_surface.ert
+++ b/test-data/snake_oil_field/snake_oil_surface.ert
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ REFCASE refcase/SNAKE_OIL_FIELD
 TIME_MAP refcase/time_map.txt
 OBS_CONFIG observations/observations.txt
 
-INSTALL_JOB SNAKE_OIL_SIMULATOR jobs/SNAKE_OIL_SIMULATOR
+INSTALL_JOB SNAKE_OIL_ECLIPSE_SIMULATOR jobs/SNAKE_OIL_SIMULATOR
 INSTALL_JOB SNAKE_OIL_NPV jobs/SNAKE_OIL_NPV
 INSTALL_JOB SNAKE_OIL_DIFF jobs/SNAKE_OIL_DIFF
 
-FORWARD_MODEL SNAKE_OIL_SIMULATOR
+FORWARD_MODEL SNAKE_OIL_ECLIPSE_SIMULATOR
 FORWARD_MODEL SNAKE_OIL_NPV
 FORWARD_MODEL SNAKE_OIL_DIFF
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/config/test_ert_config.py b/tests/unit_tests/config/test_ert_config.py
index 7b375365235..fb8cbc25477 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/config/test_ert_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/config/test_ert_config.py
@@ -1743,3 +1743,65 @@ def test_general_option_in_local_config_has_priority_over_site_config(
     assert config.queue_config.max_running == 13
     assert config.queue_config.submit_sleep == 14
     assert config.queue_config.queue_system == QueueSystem.TORQUE
+
+
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("use_tmpdir")
+def test_warning_raised_when_summary_key_and_no_simulation_job_present(caplog, recwarn):
+    caplog.set_level(logging.WARNING)
+
+    with open("job_file", "w", encoding="utf-8") as fout:
+        fout.write("EXECUTABLE echo\nARGLIST <ECLBASE> <RUNPATH>\n")
+
+    with open("config_file.ert", "w", encoding="utf-8") as fout:
+        # Write a minimal config file
+        fout.write("NUM_REALIZATIONS 1\n")
+        fout.write("SUMMARY *\n")
+        fout.write("ECLBASE RESULT_SUMMARY\n")
+
+        fout.write("INSTALL_JOB job_name job_file\n")
+        fout.write(
+            "FORWARD_MODEL job_name(<ECLBASE>=A/<ECLBASE>, <RUNPATH>=<RUNPATH>/x)\n"
+        )
+
+    ErtConfig.from_file("config_file.ert")
+
+    # Check no warning is logged when config contains
+    # forward model step with <ECLBASE> and <RUNPATH> as arguments
+    assert not caplog.text
+    assert len(recwarn) == 1
+    assert issubclass(recwarn[0].category, ConfigWarning)
+    assert (
+        recwarn[0].message.info.message
+        == "Config contians a SUMMARY key but no simulation job known to generate a summary file detected in the forward model"
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "job_name", ["eclipse", "eclipse100", "flow", "FLOW", "ECLIPSE100"]
+)
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("use_tmpdir")
+def test_no_warning_when_summary_key_and_simulation_job_present(
+    caplog, recwarn, job_name
+):
+    caplog.set_level(logging.WARNING)
+
+    with open("job_file", "w", encoding="utf-8") as fout:
+        fout.write("EXECUTABLE echo\nARGLIST <ECLBASE> <RUNPATH>\n")
+
+    with open("config_file.ert", "w", encoding="utf-8") as fout:
+        # Write a minimal config file
+        fout.write("NUM_REALIZATIONS 1\n")
+        fout.write("SUMMARY *\n")
+        fout.write("ECLBASE RESULT_SUMMARY\n")
+
+        fout.write(f"INSTALL_JOB {job_name} job_file\n")
+        fout.write(
+            f"FORWARD_MODEL {job_name}(<ECLBASE>=A/<ECLBASE>, <RUNPATH>=<RUNPATH>/x)\n"
+        )
+
+    ErtConfig.from_file("config_file.ert")
+
+    # Check no warning is logged when config contains
+    # forward model step with <ECLBASE> and <RUNPATH> as arguments
+    assert not caplog.text
+    assert len(recwarn) == 0