diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/SearchService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/SearchService.java
index 2c25bda1f0406..0faa723dd5e66 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/SearchService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/SearchService.java
@@ -1535,7 +1535,8 @@ private void parseSource(DefaultSearchContext context, SearchSourceBuilder sourc
             context.setProfilers(new Profilers(context.searcher(), context.shouldUseConcurrentSearch()));
         }
 
-        if (this.indicesService.getCompositeIndexSettings().isStarTreeIndexCreationEnabled()
+        if (this.indicesService.getCompositeIndexSettings() != null
+            && this.indicesService.getCompositeIndexSettings().isStarTreeIndexCreationEnabled()
             && StarTreeQueryHelper.isStarTreeSupported(context, source.trackTotalHitsUpTo() != null)) {
             try {
                 OriginalOrStarTreeQuery parsedQuery = StarTreeQueryHelper.getOriginalOrStarTreeQuery(context, source);