diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/deployers/impl/FileConfigurationParser.java b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/deployers/impl/FileConfigurationParser.java
index e6440106c6..8500ecf1fb 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/deployers/impl/FileConfigurationParser.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/deployers/impl/FileConfigurationParser.java
@@ -1671,7 +1671,7 @@ public final class FileConfigurationParser extends XMLConfigurationUtil {
    private void parseGroupingHandlerConfiguration(final Element node, final Configuration mainConfiguration) {
       String name = node.getAttribute("name");
       String type = getString(node, "type", null, Validators.NOT_NULL_OR_EMPTY);
-      String address = getString(node, "address", null, Validators.NOT_NULL_OR_EMPTY);
+      String address = getString(node, "address", "", Validators.NO_CHECK);
       Integer timeout = getInteger(node, "timeout", ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerTimeout(), Validators.GT_ZERO);
       Long groupTimeout = getLong(node, "group-timeout", ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerGroupTimeout(), Validators.MINUS_ONE_OR_GT_ZERO);
       Long reaperPeriod = getLong(node, "reaper-period", ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerReaperPeriod(), Validators.GT_ZERO);
diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/resources/schema/artemis-configuration.xsd b/artemis-server/src/main/resources/schema/artemis-configuration.xsd
index f67cd48d9a..802afca51c 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/resources/schema/artemis-configuration.xsd
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/resources/schema/artemis-configuration.xsd
@@ -2525,7 +2525,7 @@
                </xsd:restriction>
             </xsd:simpleType>
          </xsd:element>
-         <xsd:element name="address" type="xsd:string" maxOccurs="1" minOccurs="1">
+         <xsd:element name="address" type="xsd:string" maxOccurs="1" minOccurs="0">
             <xsd:annotation>
                <xsd:documentation>
                   A reference to a cluster connection address
diff --git a/tests/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/tests/integration/cluster/distribution/ClusteredGroupingTest.java b/tests/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/tests/integration/cluster/distribution/ClusteredGroupingTest.java
index 1c59990a3d..f393faf936 100644
--- a/tests/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/tests/integration/cluster/distribution/ClusteredGroupingTest.java
+++ b/tests/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/tests/integration/cluster/distribution/ClusteredGroupingTest.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.config.ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.ActiveMQException;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.Message;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.SimpleString;
@@ -286,6 +287,53 @@ public class ClusteredGroupingTest extends ClusterTestBase {
 
    }
 
+   /**
+    * This is the same test as testGroupingSimple() just with the "address" removed from the cluster-connection and grouping-handler
+    */
+   @Test
+   public void testGroupingSimpleWithNoAddress() throws Exception {
+      setupServer(0, isFileStorage(), isNetty());
+      setupServer(1, isFileStorage(), isNetty());
+      setupServer(2, isFileStorage(), isNetty());
+
+      setupClusterConnection("cluster0", "", MessageLoadBalancingType.ON_DEMAND, 1, isNetty(), 0, 1, 2);
+
+      setupClusterConnection("cluster1", "", MessageLoadBalancingType.ON_DEMAND, 1, isNetty(), 1, 0, 2);
+
+      setupClusterConnection("cluster2", "", MessageLoadBalancingType.ON_DEMAND, 1, isNetty(), 2, 0, 1);
+
+      servers[0].getConfiguration().setGroupingHandlerConfiguration(new GroupingHandlerConfiguration().setName(new SimpleString("grouparbitrator")).setType(GroupingHandlerConfiguration.TYPE.LOCAL).setTimeout(5000).setGroupTimeout(-1).setReaperPeriod(ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerReaperPeriod()));
+      servers[1].getConfiguration().setGroupingHandlerConfiguration(new GroupingHandlerConfiguration().setName(new SimpleString("grouparbitrator")).setType(GroupingHandlerConfiguration.TYPE.REMOTE).setTimeout(5000).setGroupTimeout(-1).setReaperPeriod(ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerReaperPeriod()));
+      servers[2].getConfiguration().setGroupingHandlerConfiguration(new GroupingHandlerConfiguration().setName(new SimpleString("grouparbitrator")).setType(GroupingHandlerConfiguration.TYPE.REMOTE).setTimeout(5000).setGroupTimeout(-1).setReaperPeriod(ActiveMQDefaultConfiguration.getDefaultGroupingHandlerReaperPeriod()));
+
+      startServers(0, 1, 2);
+
+      setupSessionFactory(0, isNetty());
+      setupSessionFactory(1, isNetty());
+      setupSessionFactory(2, isNetty());
+
+      createQueue(0, "queues.testaddress", "queue0", null, false);
+      createQueue(1, "queues.testaddress", "queue0", null, false);
+      createQueue(2, "queues.testaddress", "queue0", null, false);
+
+      addConsumer(0, 0, "queue0", null);
+      addConsumer(1, 1, "queue0", null);
+      addConsumer(2, 2, "queue0", null);
+
+      waitForBindings(0, "queues.testaddress", 1, 1, true);
+      waitForBindings(1, "queues.testaddress", 1, 1, true);
+      waitForBindings(2, "queues.testaddress", 1, 1, true);
+
+      waitForBindings(0, "queues.testaddress", 2, 2, false);
+      waitForBindings(1, "queues.testaddress", 2, 2, false);
+      waitForBindings(2, "queues.testaddress", 2, 2, false);
+
+      sendWithProperty(0, "queues.testaddress", 10, false, Message.HDR_GROUP_ID, new SimpleString("id1"));
+
+      verifyReceiveAll(10, 0);
+
+   }
+
    // Fail a node where there's a consumer only.. with messages being sent by a node that is not the local
    @Test
    public void testGroupingSimpleFail2nd() throws Exception {