diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestOzoneManagerConfiguration.java b/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestOzoneManagerConfiguration.java
index 77f0dfc2305a0..f3aa83672ed9c 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestOzoneManagerConfiguration.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestOzoneManagerConfiguration.java
@@ -279,6 +279,45 @@ public void testWrongConfiguration() throws Exception {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * A configuration with an empty node list while service ID is configured
+   * Should successfully start with no NPEs.
+   * @throws Exception
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testNoOMNodes() throws Exception {
+    String omServiceId = "om-service-test1";
+    conf.set(OMConfigKeys.OZONE_OM_SERVICE_IDS_KEY, omServiceId);
+    // Deliberately skip OZONE_OM_NODES_KEY and OZONE_OM_ADDRESS_KEY config
+
+    // Should successfully start with no NPEs
+    startCluster();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A configuration with no OM addresses while service ID is configured.
+   * Should successfully start with no NPEs.
+   * @throws Exception
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testNoOMAddrs() throws Exception {
+    String omServiceId = "om-service-test1";
+
+    String omNode1Id = "omNode1";
+    String omNode2Id = "omNode2";
+    String omNode3Id = "omNode3";
+    String omNodesKeyValue = omNode1Id + "," + omNode2Id + "," + omNode3Id;
+    String omNodesKey = OmUtils.addKeySuffixes(
+        OMConfigKeys.OZONE_OM_NODES_KEY, omServiceId);
+
+    conf.set(OMConfigKeys.OZONE_OM_SERVICE_IDS_KEY, omServiceId);
+    conf.set(omNodesKey, omNodesKeyValue);
+    // Deliberately skip OZONE_OM_ADDRESS_KEY config
+
+    // Should successfully start with no NPEs
+    startCluster();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Test multiple OM service configuration.
    */
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/OzoneManager.java b/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/OzoneManager.java
index 48b095cfdb274..f7d1f114343e2 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/OzoneManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/OzoneManager.java
@@ -622,6 +622,10 @@ private void loadOMHAConfigs(Configuration conf) {
       InetSocketAddress omAddress = OmUtils.getOmAddress(conf);
       int ratisPort = conf.getInt(OZONE_OM_RATIS_PORT_KEY,
           OZONE_OM_RATIS_PORT_DEFAULT);
+      // HDDS-2064: this.peerNodes would be null at this point because
+      // it is not initialized, we want to initialize it as an empty list
+      // to prevent NPE in OzoneManagerRatisServer#newOMRatisServer.
+      this.peerNodes = new ArrayList<>();
 
       LOG.info("Configuration either no {} set. Falling back to the default " +
           "OM address {}", OZONE_OM_ADDRESS_KEY, omAddress);