diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/user/PreferencesPayload.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/user/PreferencesPayload.java
index f82034b5..d40cc1f4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/user/PreferencesPayload.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/user/PreferencesPayload.java
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public final class PreferencesPayload implements PersistableEnvelope {
     private boolean denyApiTaker;
     private boolean notifyOnPreRelease;
 
-    private MoneroNodeSettings moneroNodeSettings;
+    private MoneroNodeSettings moneroNodeSettings = new MoneroNodeSettings();
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // Constructor
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/MoneroNodeSettings.java b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/MoneroNodeSettings.java
index fa8fe1ec..43fe7856 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/MoneroNodeSettings.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/haveno/core/xmr/MoneroNodeSettings.java
@@ -20,18 +20,25 @@ import haveno.common.proto.persistable.PersistableEnvelope;
 import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Data;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
-
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 @Slf4j
 @Data
 @AllArgsConstructor
 public class MoneroNodeSettings implements PersistableEnvelope {
 
+    @Nullable
     String blockchainPath;
+    @Nullable
     String bootstrapUrl;
+    @Nullable
     List<String> startupFlags;
 
+    public MoneroNodeSettings() {
+    }
+
     public static MoneroNodeSettings fromProto(protobuf.MoneroNodeSettings proto) {
         return new MoneroNodeSettings(
                 proto.getBlockchainPath(),
@@ -41,9 +48,10 @@ public class MoneroNodeSettings implements PersistableEnvelope {
 
     @Override
     public protobuf.MoneroNodeSettings toProtoMessage() {
-        return protobuf.MoneroNodeSettings.newBuilder()
-                .setBlockchainPath(blockchainPath)
-                .setBootstrapUrl(bootstrapUrl)
-                .addAllStartupFlags(startupFlags).build();
+        protobuf.MoneroNodeSettings.Builder builder = protobuf.MoneroNodeSettings.newBuilder();
+        Optional.ofNullable(blockchainPath).ifPresent(e -> builder.setBlockchainPath(blockchainPath));
+        Optional.ofNullable(bootstrapUrl).ifPresent(e -> builder.setBlockchainPath(bootstrapUrl));
+        Optional.ofNullable(startupFlags).ifPresent(e -> builder.addAllStartupFlags(startupFlags));
+        return builder.build();
     }
 }