diff --git a/.changeset/beige-geckos-explode.md b/.changeset/beige-geckos-explode.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9f06a9c989b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/beige-geckos-explode.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"chainlink": minor
+---
+
+#updated Gracefully fail if CL_DATABASE_URL is not set.
diff --git a/core/services/chainlink/config_database.go b/core/services/chainlink/config_database.go
index fd8aa96419d..27e61479146 100644
--- a/core/services/chainlink/config_database.go
+++ b/core/services/chainlink/config_database.go
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ func (d *databaseConfig) DefaultQueryTimeout() time.Duration {
 }
 
 func (d *databaseConfig) URL() url.URL {
+	if d.s.URL == nil {
+		return url.URL{}
+	}
 	return *d.s.URL.URL()
 }