diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/ActiveMQServerLogger.java b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/ActiveMQServerLogger.java
index b359592647..8267144e7e 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/ActiveMQServerLogger.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/ActiveMQServerLogger.java
@@ -1773,6 +1773,11 @@ public interface ActiveMQServerLogger extends BasicLogger {
    @Message(id = 222307, value = "The queues element is deprecated and replaced by the addresses element")
    void queuesElementDeprecated();
 
+   @LogMessage(level = Logger.Level.WARN)
+   @Message(id = 222308, value = "Unable to listen for incoming fail-back request because {0} is null. Ensure the broker has the proper cluster-connection configuration.",
+      format = Message.Format.MESSAGE_FORMAT)
+   void failBackCheckerFailure(String component);
+
 
 
    @LogMessage(level = Logger.Level.ERROR)
diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/SharedStoreBackupActivation.java b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/SharedStoreBackupActivation.java
index 0b21445102..023a7387fc 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/SharedStoreBackupActivation.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/SharedStoreBackupActivation.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.NodeManager;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.NodeManager.LockListener;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.NodeManager.NodeManagerException;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.QueueFactory;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.cluster.ClusterConnection;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.cluster.ClusterManager;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.cluster.ha.ScaleDownPolicy;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.cluster.ha.SharedStoreSlavePolicy;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.group.GroupingHandler;
@@ -253,15 +255,29 @@ public final class SharedStoreBackupActivation extends Activation {
       BackupTopologyListener backupListener;
 
       FailbackChecker() {
-         TransportConfiguration connector = activeMQServer.getClusterManager().getDefaultConnection(null).getConnector();
-         backupListener = new BackupTopologyListener(activeMQServer.getNodeID().toString(), connector);
-         activeMQServer.getClusterManager().getDefaultConnection(null).addClusterTopologyListener(backupListener);
+         ClusterManager clusterManager = activeMQServer.getClusterManager();
+         if (clusterManager != null) {
+            ClusterConnection clusterConnection = clusterManager.getDefaultConnection(null);
+            if (clusterConnection != null) {
+               TransportConfiguration connector = clusterConnection.getConnector();
+               if (connector != null) {
+                  backupListener = new BackupTopologyListener(activeMQServer.getNodeID().toString(), connector);
+                  clusterConnection.addClusterTopologyListener(backupListener);
+               } else {
+                  ActiveMQServerLogger.LOGGER.failBackCheckerFailure("connector");
+               }
+            } else {
+               ActiveMQServerLogger.LOGGER.failBackCheckerFailure("cluster connection");
+            }
+         } else {
+            ActiveMQServerLogger.LOGGER.failBackCheckerFailure("cluster manager");
+         }
       }
 
       @Override
       public void run() {
          try {
-            if (!restarting.get() && activeMQServer.getNodeManager().isAwaitingFailback() && backupListener.waitForBackup()) {
+            if (!restarting.get() && activeMQServer.getNodeManager().isAwaitingFailback() && backupListener != null && backupListener.waitForBackup()) {
                if (!restarting.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
                   return;
                }