diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/PosixWatchdogFactory.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/PosixWatchdogFactory.cs
index f075244a10..30a8169e97 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/PosixWatchdogFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/PosixWatchdogFactory.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+using System;
 using Tgstation.Server.Api.Models.Internal;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Chat;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Deployment;
@@ -73,6 +74,6 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Watchdog
 				LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<PosixWatchdog>(),
 				settings,
 				instance,
-				settings.AutoStart.Value);
+				settings.AutoStart ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(settings)));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WatchdogFactory.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WatchdogFactory.cs
index fccf313fc4..dbf3fe82e9 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WatchdogFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WatchdogFactory.cs
@@ -97,6 +97,6 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Watchdog
 				LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<BasicWatchdog>(),
 				settings,
 				instance,
-				settings.AutoStart.Value);
+				settings.AutoStart ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(settings)));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WindowsWatchdogFactory.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WindowsWatchdogFactory.cs
index 54f5047cdb..1e52e7ecad 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WindowsWatchdogFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/WindowsWatchdogFactory.cs
@@ -80,6 +80,6 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Watchdog
 				LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<WindowsWatchdog>(),
 				settings,
 				instance,
-				settings.AutoStart.Value);
+				settings.AutoStart ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(settings)));
 	}
 }