diff --git a/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/config/settings.rs b/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/config/settings.rs
index 11c419a..8162dd8 100644
--- a/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/config/settings.rs
+++ b/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/config/settings.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ pub struct Settings {
     pub grpc: GrpcSettings,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub log: LogSettings,
-    pub nginx: Option<NginxSettings>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub nginx: NginxSettings,
 }
 
 /// gRPC client settings
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ impl Default for LogSettings {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
 pub struct NginxSettings {
     #[serde(default = "default_nginx_config_path")]
     pub nginx_config_path: String,
@@ -101,9 +102,7 @@ pub struct NginxSettings {
 impl Validate for Settings {
     fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         self.grpc.validate()?;
-        if let Some(nginx) = &self.nginx {
-            nginx.validate()?;
-        }
+        self.nginx.validate()?;
         Ok(())
     }
 }
@@ -125,35 +124,37 @@ impl Settings {
 
         settings.validate().map_err(ConfigError::Message)?;
 
-        if let Some(nginx) = &mut settings.nginx {
-            nginx.validate().map_err(ConfigError::Message)?;
+        settings.nginx.validate().map_err(ConfigError::Message)?;
 
-            // replace binary path template in commands with actual binary path, if the template is present
-            nginx
-                .override_nginx_reload_command
-                .iter_mut()
-                .for_each(|cmd| {
-                    *cmd = cmd.replace(
-                        NGINX_BINARY_PATH_TEMPLATE,
-                        &nginx
-                            .nginx_binary_path
-                            .clone()
-                            .unwrap_or_else(|| NGINX_DEFAULT_BINARY.into()),
-                    );
-                });
-            nginx
-                .override_nginx_test_command
-                .iter_mut()
-                .for_each(|cmd| {
-                    *cmd = cmd.replace(
-                        NGINX_BINARY_PATH_TEMPLATE,
-                        &nginx
-                            .nginx_binary_path
-                            .clone()
-                            .unwrap_or_else(|| NGINX_DEFAULT_BINARY.into()),
-                    );
-                });
-        }
+        // replace binary path template in commands with actual binary path, if the template is present
+        settings
+            .nginx
+            .override_nginx_reload_command
+            .iter_mut()
+            .for_each(|cmd| {
+                *cmd = cmd.replace(
+                    NGINX_BINARY_PATH_TEMPLATE,
+                    &settings
+                        .nginx
+                        .nginx_binary_path
+                        .clone()
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|| NGINX_DEFAULT_BINARY.into()),
+                );
+            });
+        settings
+            .nginx
+            .override_nginx_test_command
+            .iter_mut()
+            .for_each(|cmd| {
+                *cmd = cmd.replace(
+                    NGINX_BINARY_PATH_TEMPLATE,
+                    &settings
+                        .nginx
+                        .nginx_binary_path
+                        .clone()
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|| NGINX_DEFAULT_BINARY.into()),
+                );
+            });
 
         Ok(settings)
     }
diff --git a/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/connector/master/mod.rs b/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/connector/master/mod.rs
index 4e72f1b..243dbc6 100644
--- a/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/connector/master/mod.rs
+++ b/apps/nxmesh-agent/src/connector/master/mod.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ mod tests {
                 cors: None,
             },
             log: LogSettings::default(),
-            nginx: None,
+            nginx: Default::default(),
         }
     }