diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-extension-utils/nifi-record-utils/nifi-avro-record-utils/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/avro/AvroTypeUtil.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-extension-utils/nifi-record-utils/nifi-avro-record-utils/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/avro/AvroTypeUtil.java
index a0eea8b1c4..caa2743b06 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-extension-utils/nifi-record-utils/nifi-avro-record-utils/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/avro/AvroTypeUtil.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-extension-utils/nifi-record-utils/nifi-avro-record-utils/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/avro/AvroTypeUtil.java
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ public class AvroTypeUtil {
             recordFields.add(new RecordField(fieldName, dataType, field.aliases(), nullable));
         } else {
             Object defaultValue = field.defaultVal();
-            if (fieldSchema.getType() == Schema.Type.ARRAY && !DataTypeUtils.isArrayTypeCompatible(defaultValue, ((ArrayDataType) dataType).getElementType())) {
+            if (defaultValue != null && fieldSchema.getType() == Schema.Type.ARRAY && !DataTypeUtils.isArrayTypeCompatible(defaultValue, ((ArrayDataType) dataType).getElementType())) {
                 defaultValue = defaultValue instanceof List ? ((List<?>) defaultValue).toArray() : new Object[0];
             }
             recordFields.add(new RecordField(fieldName, dataType, defaultValue, field.aliases(), nullable));
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/pom.xml b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/pom.xml
index 3da027ad03..72cdb6581f 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/pom.xml
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/pom.xml
@@ -570,6 +570,9 @@
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestForkRecord/schema/schema.avsc</exclude>
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestConvertRecord/schema/person.avsc</exclude>
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestConvertRecord/input/person.json</exclude>
+                        <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json</exclude>
+                        <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.avsc</exclude>
+                        <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array-with-default.avsc</exclude>
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/nested-map-input.json</exclude>
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/nested-map-schema.avsc</exclude>
                         <exclude>src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/timestamp.avsc</exclude>
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestValidateRecord.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestValidateRecord.java
index bbcc9a9369..f53dd5cd76 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestValidateRecord.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestValidateRecord.java
@@ -412,6 +412,80 @@ public class TestValidateRecord {
         runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_FAILURE, 0);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testValidateMissingRequiredArray() throws InitializationException, IOException {
+        final String validateSchema = new String(Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get("src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.avsc")), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+
+        final JsonTreeReader jsonReader = new JsonTreeReader();
+        runner.addControllerService("reader", jsonReader);
+        runner.setProperty(jsonReader, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_ACCESS_STRATEGY, "schema-text-property");
+        runner.setProperty(jsonReader, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_TEXT, validateSchema);
+        runner.enableControllerService(jsonReader);
+
+        final JsonRecordSetWriter validWriter = new JsonRecordSetWriter();
+        runner.addControllerService("writer", validWriter);
+        runner.setProperty(validWriter, "Schema Write Strategy", "full-schema-attribute");
+        runner.enableControllerService(validWriter);
+
+        final MockRecordWriter invalidWriter = new MockRecordWriter("invalid", true);
+        runner.addControllerService("invalid-writer", invalidWriter);
+        runner.enableControllerService(invalidWriter);
+
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.RECORD_READER, "reader");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.RECORD_WRITER, "writer");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.SCHEMA_ACCESS_STRATEGY, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_TEXT_PROPERTY);
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.SCHEMA_TEXT, validateSchema);
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.INVALID_RECORD_WRITER, "invalid-writer");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.ALLOW_EXTRA_FIELDS, "true");
+
+        // The record is invalid due to not containing the required array from the schema
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.STRICT_TYPE_CHECKING, "false");
+        runner.enqueue(Paths.get("src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json"));
+        runner.run();
+
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_VALID, 0);
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_INVALID, 1);
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_FAILURE, 0);
+        runner.clearTransferState();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testValidateMissingRequiredArrayWithDefault() throws InitializationException, IOException {
+        final String validateSchema = new String(Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get("src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array-with-default.avsc")), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+
+        final JsonTreeReader jsonReader = new JsonTreeReader();
+        runner.addControllerService("reader", jsonReader);
+        runner.setProperty(jsonReader, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_ACCESS_STRATEGY, "schema-text-property");
+        runner.setProperty(jsonReader, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_TEXT, validateSchema);
+        runner.enableControllerService(jsonReader);
+
+        final JsonRecordSetWriter validWriter = new JsonRecordSetWriter();
+        runner.addControllerService("writer", validWriter);
+        runner.setProperty(validWriter, "Schema Write Strategy", "full-schema-attribute");
+        runner.enableControllerService(validWriter);
+
+        final MockRecordWriter invalidWriter = new MockRecordWriter("invalid", true);
+        runner.addControllerService("invalid-writer", invalidWriter);
+        runner.enableControllerService(invalidWriter);
+
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.RECORD_READER, "reader");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.RECORD_WRITER, "writer");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.SCHEMA_ACCESS_STRATEGY, SchemaAccessUtils.SCHEMA_TEXT_PROPERTY);
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.SCHEMA_TEXT, validateSchema);
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.INVALID_RECORD_WRITER, "invalid-writer");
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.ALLOW_EXTRA_FIELDS, "true");
+
+        // The record is invalid due to not containing the required array from the schema
+        runner.setProperty(ValidateRecord.STRICT_TYPE_CHECKING, "false");
+        runner.enqueue(Paths.get("src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json"));
+        runner.run();
+
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_VALID, 1);
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_INVALID, 0);
+        runner.assertTransferCount(ValidateRecord.REL_FAILURE, 0);
+        runner.clearTransferState();
+    }
+
 
     @Test
     public void testValidateJsonTimestamp() throws IOException, InitializationException {
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array-with-default.avsc b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array-with-default.avsc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b01911c552
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array-with-default.avsc
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "name": "Test",
+  "type": "record",
+  "fields": [
+    {
+      "name": "Records",
+      "type": {
+        "type": "array",
+        "items": {
+          "name": "Records_record",
+          "type": "record",
+          "fields": [
+            {
+              "name": "id",
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }, "default": []
+    }
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.avsc b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.avsc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9175a4cb4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.avsc
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "name": "Test",
+  "type": "record",
+  "fields": [
+    {
+      "name": "Records",
+      "type": {
+        "type": "array",
+        "items": {
+          "name": "Records_record",
+          "type": "record",
+          "fields": [
+            {
+              "name": "id",
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43b8c4c417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/resources/TestValidateRecord/missing-array.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "NotRecords": [{
+    "id": "1"
+  }]
+}