diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/service/ClusterApplierService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/service/ClusterApplierService.java
index 9ce2c719e9c..a016fc05086 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/service/ClusterApplierService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/service/ClusterApplierService.java
@@ -204,6 +204,13 @@ public class ClusterApplierService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements
         return clusterState;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the appliedClusterState is not null
+     */
+    public boolean isInitialClusterStateSet() {
+        return Objects.nonNull(this.state.get());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds a high priority applier of updated cluster states.
      */
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/ShardIndexingPressureSettings.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/ShardIndexingPressureSettings.java
index b5d76bf15e4..5b5b887b105 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/ShardIndexingPressureSettings.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/ShardIndexingPressureSettings.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public final class ShardIndexingPressureSettings {
     public static boolean isShardIndexingPressureAttributeEnabled() {
         // Null check is required only for bwc tests which start node without initializing cluster service.
         // In actual run time, clusterService will never be null.
-        if (Objects.nonNull(clusterService)) {
+        if (Objects.nonNull(clusterService) && clusterService.getClusterApplierService().isInitialClusterStateSet()) {
             Iterator<DiscoveryNode> nodes = clusterService.state().getNodes().getNodes().valuesIt();
             while (nodes.hasNext()) {
                 if (Boolean.parseBoolean(nodes.next().getAttributes().get(SHARD_INDEXING_PRESSURE_ENABLED_ATTRIBUTE_KEY)) == false) {