diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/forked_alertmanager_test.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/forked_alertmanager_test.go
index 18389205692..b9ae3d28b66 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/forked_alertmanager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/forked_alertmanager_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestForkedAlertmanager_ModeRemoteSecondary(t *testing.T) {
 			internal.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(expErr).Once()
 			readyCall := remote.EXPECT().Ready().Return(false).Once()
 			remote.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once().NotBefore(readyCall)
-			require.Error(tt, forked.ApplyConfig(ctx, &models.AlertConfiguration{}), expErr)
+			require.ErrorIs(tt, forked.ApplyConfig(ctx, &models.AlertConfiguration{}), expErr)
 		}
 	})
 
@@ -375,6 +375,28 @@ func TestForkedAlertmanager_ModeRemotePrimary(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	expErr := errors.New("test error")
 
+	t.Run("ApplyConfig", func(tt *testing.T) {
+		{
+			// If the remote Alertmanager is not ready, ApplyConfig should be called on both Alertmanagers,
+			// first on the remote, then on the internal.
+			internal, remote, forked := genTestAlertmanagers(tt, modeRemotePrimary)
+			remoteCall := remote.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once()
+			internal.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once().NotBefore(remoteCall)
+			require.NoError(tt, forked.ApplyConfig(ctx, &models.AlertConfiguration{}))
+
+			// An error in the remote Alertmanager should be returned.
+			_, remote, forked = genTestAlertmanagers(tt, modeRemotePrimary)
+			remote.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(expErr).Once()
+			require.ErrorIs(tt, forked.ApplyConfig(ctx, &models.AlertConfiguration{}), expErr)
+
+			// An error in the internal Alertmanager should not be returned.
+			internal, remote, forked = genTestAlertmanagers(tt, modeRemotePrimary)
+			remote.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once()
+			internal.EXPECT().ApplyConfig(ctx, mock.Anything).Return(expErr).Once()
+			require.NoError(tt, forked.ApplyConfig(ctx, &models.AlertConfiguration{}))
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("GetStatus", func(tt *testing.T) {
 		// We care about the status of the remote Alertmanager.
 		_, remote, forked := genTestAlertmanagers(tt, modeRemotePrimary)
@@ -626,7 +648,7 @@ func genTestAlertmanagersWithSyncInterval(t *testing.T, mode int, syncInterval t
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		return internal, remote, forked
 	}
-	return internal, remote, NewRemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager(internal, remote)
+	return internal, remote, NewRemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager(log.NewNopLogger(), internal, remote)
 }
 
 // errConfigStore returns an error when a method is called.
diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/remote_primary_forked_alertmanager.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/remote_primary_forked_alertmanager.go
index 0f010c459a0..a10a2c41397 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/remote_primary_forked_alertmanager.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/remote/remote_primary_forked_alertmanager.go
@@ -2,32 +2,47 @@ package remote
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
 	apimodels "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/ngalert/api/tooling/definitions"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/ngalert/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/ngalert/notifier"
 )
 
 type RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager struct {
+	log log.Logger
+
 	internal notifier.Alertmanager
-	remote   notifier.Alertmanager
+	remote   remoteAlertmanager
 }
 
-func NewRemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager(internal, remote notifier.Alertmanager) *RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager {
+func NewRemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager(log log.Logger, internal notifier.Alertmanager, remote remoteAlertmanager) *RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager {
 	return &RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager{
+		log:      log,
 		internal: internal,
 		remote:   remote,
 	}
 }
 
+// ApplyConfig will send the configuration to the remote Alertmanager on startup.
 func (fam *RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager) ApplyConfig(ctx context.Context, config *models.AlertConfiguration) error {
+	if err := fam.remote.ApplyConfig(ctx, config); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to call ApplyConfig on the remote Alertmanager: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := fam.internal.ApplyConfig(ctx, config); err != nil {
+		fam.log.Error("Error applying config to the internal Alertmanager", "err", err)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+// TODO: save the new configuration hash in memory.
 func (fam *RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager) SaveAndApplyConfig(ctx context.Context, config *apimodels.PostableUserConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// TODO: save the new configuration hash in memory.
 func (fam *RemotePrimaryForkedAlertmanager) SaveAndApplyDefaultConfig(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }