diff --git a/sdk/src/azure/core/az_mqtt5_connection_hfsm.c b/sdk/src/azure/core/az_mqtt5_connection_hfsm.c
index 6bcb9443e1..e74857c8a3 100644
--- a/sdk/src/azure/core/az_mqtt5_connection_hfsm.c
+++ b/sdk/src/azure/core/az_mqtt5_connection_hfsm.c
@@ -112,9 +112,11 @@ AZ_INLINE az_result _connect(az_mqtt5_connection* me)
   _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.client_id_buffer, 1, false);
   _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.username_buffer, 1, false);
   _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.password_buffer, 0, true);
-  _az_PRECONDITION_NOT_NULL(me->_internal.options.client_certificates);
-  _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.client_certificates[0].cert, 1, false);
-  _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.client_certificates[0].key, 1, false);
+  if (me->_internal.options.client_certificates != NULL)
+  {
+    _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.client_certificates[0].cert, 1, false);
+    _az_PRECONDITION_VALID_SPAN(me->_internal.options.client_certificates[0].key, 1, false);
+  }
 
   az_mqtt5_connect_data connect_data = (az_mqtt5_connect_data){
     .host = me->_internal.options.hostname,