diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/client/rpc/RpcClient.java b/hadoop-ozone/client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/client/rpc/RpcClient.java
index 74b22e7ca4c6..bcb08f1d9130 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/client/rpc/RpcClient.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/client/rpc/RpcClient.java
@@ -1432,7 +1432,7 @@ public OzoneDataStreamOutput createStreamKey(
     if (checkKeyNameEnabled) {
       HddsClientUtils.verifyKeyName(keyName);
     }
-    HddsClientUtils.checkNotNull(keyName, replicationConfig);
+    HddsClientUtils.checkNotNull(keyName);
 
     OmKeyArgs.Builder builder = new OmKeyArgs.Builder()
         .setVolumeName(volumeName)
@@ -1819,7 +1819,7 @@ public OmMultipartInfo initiateMultipartUpload(String volumeName,
     HddsClientUtils.checkNotNull(keyName);
     if (omVersion
         .compareTo(OzoneManagerVersion.ERASURE_CODED_STORAGE_SUPPORT) < 0) {
-      if (replicationConfig.getReplicationType()
+      if (replicationConfig != null && replicationConfig.getReplicationType()
           == HddsProtos.ReplicationType.EC) {
         throw new IOException("Can not set the replication of the file to"
             + " Erasure Coded replication, as OzoneManager does not support"
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/endpoint/ObjectEndpoint.java b/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/endpoint/ObjectEndpoint.java
index 24115abe8e6b..643d8551d822 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/endpoint/ObjectEndpoint.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/endpoint/ObjectEndpoint.java
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ public Response initializeMultipartUpload(
   private ReplicationConfig getReplicationConfig(OzoneBucket ozoneBucket,
       String storageType) throws OS3Exception {
     if (StringUtils.isEmpty(storageType)) {
-      storageType = S3StorageType.getDefault(ozoneConfiguration).toString();
+      S3StorageType defaultStorageType = S3StorageType.getDefault(ozoneConfiguration);
+      storageType = (defaultStorageType != null ? defaultStorageType.toString() : null);
     }
 
     ReplicationConfig clientConfiguredReplicationConfig = null;
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/util/S3StorageType.java b/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/util/S3StorageType.java
index ae42e812fb3e..9eb88989a32e 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/util/S3StorageType.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/s3gateway/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/s3/util/S3StorageType.java
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ public ReplicationType getType() {
   public static S3StorageType getDefault(ConfigurationSource config) {
     String replicationString = config.get(OzoneConfigKeys.OZONE_REPLICATION);
     ReplicationFactor configFactor;
+    if (replicationString == null) {
+      // if no config is set then let server take decision
+      return null;
+    }
     try {
       configFactor = ReplicationFactor.valueOf(
           Integer.parseInt(replicationString));