diff --git a/pkg/util/validation/validation.go b/pkg/util/validation/validation.go
index b6ee5a72a134..58ad48d91115 100644
--- a/pkg/util/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/util/validation/validation.go
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ func ValidateApplicationFailover(applicationFailoverBehavior *policyv1alpha1.App
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if *applicationFailoverBehavior.DecisionConditions.TolerationSeconds < 0 {
+	if applicationFailoverBehavior.DecisionConditions.TolerationSeconds != nil && *applicationFailoverBehavior.DecisionConditions.TolerationSeconds < 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("decisionConditions").Child("tolerationSeconds"), *applicationFailoverBehavior.DecisionConditions.TolerationSeconds, "must be greater than or equal to 0"))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/util/validation/validation_test.go
index 2273719ed384..c61af6eeee81 100644
--- a/pkg/util/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -922,6 +922,15 @@ func TestValidateApplicationFailover(t *testing.T) {
 			applicationFailoverBehavior: nil,
 			expectedErr:                 "",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "tolerationSeconds is nil",
+			applicationFailoverBehavior: &policyv1alpha1.ApplicationFailoverBehavior{
+				DecisionConditions: policyv1alpha1.DecisionConditions{
+					TolerationSeconds: nil,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: "",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "the tolerationSeconds is less than zero",
 			applicationFailoverBehavior: &policyv1alpha1.ApplicationFailoverBehavior{