diff --git a/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/avro/AvroStreamInputFormat.java b/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/avro/AvroStreamInputFormat.java
index bf0cecfa321..181896df382 100644
--- a/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/avro/AvroStreamInputFormat.java
+++ b/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/avro/AvroStreamInputFormat.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.apache.druid.data.input.InputEntity;
 import org.apache.druid.data.input.InputEntityReader;
 import org.apache.druid.data.input.InputRowSchema;
 import org.apache.druid.data.input.impl.NestedInputFormat;
+import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.IAE;
 import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.parsers.JSONPathSpec;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ public class AvroStreamInputFormat extends NestedInputFormat
   )
   {
     super(flattenSpec);
+    if (avroBytesDecoder == null) {
+      throw new IAE("avroBytesDecoder is required to decode Avro records");
+    }
     this.avroBytesDecoder = avroBytesDecoder;
     this.binaryAsString = binaryAsString != null && binaryAsString;
     this.extractUnionsByType = extractUnionsByType != null && extractUnionsByType;
diff --git a/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/AvroStreamInputFormatTest.java b/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/AvroStreamInputFormatTest.java
index 6c6609301c8..9b7b4a001cc 100644
--- a/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/AvroStreamInputFormatTest.java
+++ b/extensions-core/avro-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/data/input/AvroStreamInputFormatTest.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.apache.druid.data.input.impl.TimestampSpec;
 import org.apache.druid.data.input.schemarepo.Avro1124RESTRepositoryClientWrapper;
 import org.apache.druid.data.input.schemarepo.Avro1124SubjectAndIdConverter;
 import org.apache.druid.jackson.DefaultObjectMapper;
+import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.IAE;
 import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.parsers.JSONPathFieldSpec;
 import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.parsers.JSONPathFieldType;
 import org.apache.druid.java.util.common.parsers.JSONPathSpec;
@@ -202,6 +203,21 @@ public class AvroStreamInputFormatTest extends InitializedNullHandlingTest
     Assert.assertEquals(inputFormat, inputFormat2);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testMissingAvroBytesDecoderRaisesIAE()
+  {
+    Assert.assertThrows(
+        "avroBytesDecoder is required to decode Avro records",
+        IAE.class,
+        () -> new AvroStreamInputFormat(
+            flattenSpec,
+            null,
+            true,
+            true
+        )
+    );
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testParse() throws SchemaValidationException, IOException
   {