diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeAuthorizationHandler.cs b/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeAuthorizationHandler.cs
index af8d416a2..6f9caf4f5 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeAuthorizationHandler.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeAuthorizationHandler.cs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ protected override Task HandleRequirementAsync(
 
             if (configurationKey != null)
             {
-                scopes = _configuration[configurationKey]?.Split(' ');
+                scopes = _configuration[configurationKey]?.Split(' ') ?? Array.Empty<string>();
             }
 
             if (scopes is null)
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler.cs b/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler.cs
index ae3dd9e64..9c8c8b1ac 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Identity.Web/Policy/ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ protected override Task HandleRequirementAsync(
 
             if (scopeConfigurationKey != null)
             {
-                scopes = _configuration[scopeConfigurationKey]?.Split(' ');
+                scopes = _configuration[scopeConfigurationKey]?.Split(' ') ?? Array.Empty<string>();
             }
 
             if (scopes is null)
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ protected override Task HandleRequirementAsync(
 
             if (appPermissionConfigurationKey != null)
             {
-                appPermissions = _configuration.GetValue<string>(appPermissionConfigurationKey)?.Split(' ');
+                appPermissions = _configuration[appPermissionConfigurationKey]?.Split(' ') ?? Array.Empty<string>();
             }
 
             if (appPermissions is null)
diff --git a/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopeOrAppPermissionPolicyTests.cs b/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopeOrAppPermissionPolicyTests.cs
index 30547454f..80dfdf6c3 100644
--- a/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopeOrAppPermissionPolicyTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopeOrAppPermissionPolicyTests.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 using System.Security.Claims;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Memory;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
@@ -153,6 +154,74 @@ public async Task VerifyAppHasAnyAcceptedScopeOrAppPermission_TestAsync()
             Assert.True(allowed.Succeeded);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task DeclaredConfigurationKeysWithoutValues_FailAsync()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var requirement = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationRequirement
+            {
+                RequiredScopesConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingScope",
+                RequiredAppPermissionsConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingAppPermission",
+            };
+            var context = CreateAuthorizationContext(
+                requirement,
+                ClaimConstants.Role,
+                AppPermission);
+            var handler = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler(new ConfigurationBuilder().Build());
+
+            // Act
+            await handler.HandleAsync(context);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.False(context.HasSucceeded);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task ValidAppPermissionSucceedsWhenDeclaredScopeConfigurationIsMissingAsync()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var requirement = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationRequirement(
+                scopeAllowedValues: null,
+                new[] { AppPermission })
+            {
+                RequiredScopesConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingScope",
+            };
+            var context = CreateAuthorizationContext(
+                requirement,
+                ClaimConstants.Role,
+                AppPermission);
+            var handler = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler(new ConfigurationBuilder().Build());
+
+            // Act
+            await handler.HandleAsync(context);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.True(context.HasSucceeded);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task ValidScopeSucceedsWhenDeclaredAppPermissionConfigurationIsMissingAsync()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var requirement = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationRequirement(
+                new[] { Scope },
+                appPermissionAllowedValues: null)
+            {
+                RequiredAppPermissionsConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingAppPermission",
+            };
+            var context = CreateAuthorizationContext(
+                requirement,
+                ClaimConstants.Scp,
+                Scope);
+            var handler = new ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationHandler(new ConfigurationBuilder().Build());
+
+            // Act
+            await handler.HandleAsync(context);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.True(context.HasSucceeded);
+        }
+
         private IAuthorizationService BuildAuthorizationService(
         string policy,
         string? appPermission,
@@ -202,5 +271,16 @@ private IAuthorizationService BuildAuthorizationService(
             _provider = hostBuilder.Build().Services;
             return _provider.GetRequiredService<IAuthorizationService>();
         }
+
+        private static AuthorizationHandlerContext CreateAuthorizationContext(
+            ScopeOrAppPermissionAuthorizationRequirement requirement,
+            string claimType,
+            string claimValue)
+        {
+            var user = new ClaimsPrincipal(
+                new CaseSensitiveClaimsIdentity(new[] { new Claim(claimType, claimValue) }));
+
+            return new AuthorizationHandlerContext(new[] { requirement }, user, resource: null);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopePolicyTests.cs b/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopePolicyTests.cs
index e5c8ccf66..f6ccc830a 100644
--- a/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopePolicyTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Microsoft.Identity.Web.Test/Resource/RequiredScopePolicyTests.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Security.Claims;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Memory;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
@@ -116,6 +118,50 @@ public async Task VerifyUserHasAnyAcceptedScope_RequiredScopesMissingAsync()
             Assert.True(allowed.Succeeded);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task RequirementConfigurationKeyWithoutValue_FailsAsync()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var requirement = new ScopeAuthorizationRequirement(new[] { SingleScope })
+            {
+                RequiredScopesConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingScope",
+            };
+            var user = new ClaimsPrincipal(
+                new CaseSensitiveClaimsIdentity(new[] { new Claim(ClaimConstants.Scp, SingleScope) }));
+            var context = new AuthorizationHandlerContext(new[] { requirement }, user, resource: null);
+            var handler = new ScopeAuthorizationHandler(new ConfigurationBuilder().Build());
+
+            // Act
+            await handler.HandleAsync(context);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.False(context.HasSucceeded);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task EndpointConfigurationKeyWithoutValue_FailsAsync()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var requirement = new ScopeAuthorizationRequirement();
+            var user = new ClaimsPrincipal(
+                new CaseSensitiveClaimsIdentity(new[] { new Claim(ClaimConstants.Scp, SingleScope) }));
+            var endpoint = new Endpoint(
+                _ => Task.CompletedTask,
+                new EndpointMetadataCollection(new RequiredScopeAttribute
+                {
+                    RequiredScopesConfigurationKey = $"{ConfigSectionName}:MissingScope",
+                }),
+                displayName: null);
+            var context = new AuthorizationHandlerContext(new[] { requirement }, user, endpoint);
+            var handler = new ScopeAuthorizationHandler(new ConfigurationBuilder().Build());
+
+            // Act
+            await handler.HandleAsync(context);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.False(context.HasSucceeded);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public async Task IncorrectPolicyName_FailsAsync()
         {