diff --git a/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/NodeBearingStrawberryfieldSelection.php b/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/NodeBearingStrawberryfieldSelection.php
index b0a0bfb0..e02a3ad9 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/NodeBearingStrawberryfieldSelection.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/NodeBearingStrawberryfieldSelection.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class NodeBearingStrawberryfieldSelection extends NodeSelection {
   protected function buildEntityQuery($match = NULL, $match_operator = 'CONTAINS') {
 
     $query = parent::buildEntityQuery($match, $match_operator);
-    $handler_settings = $this->configuration['handler_settings'];
+    $handler_settings = $this->configuration['handler_settings'] ?? [];
     if (!isset($handler_settings['filter'])) {
       return $query;
     }
@@ -43,4 +43,4 @@ protected function buildEntityQuery($match = NULL, $match_operator = 'CONTAINS')
     }
     return $query;
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}