diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_flight_frontend.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_flight_frontend.cc
index 61defbdd662..c29703fe513 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_flight_frontend.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_flight_frontend.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ FlightFrontend::FlightFrontend(RGWProcessEnv& _env,
 
 FlightFrontend::~FlightFrontend() {
   delete env.flight_server;
+  env.flight_server = nullptr;
+
   delete env.flight_store;
+  env.flight_store = nullptr;
+
   INFO << "flight server shut down" << dendl;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_op.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_op.cc
index 5bb0d398822..311b629a3df 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_op.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_op.cc
@@ -2237,10 +2237,14 @@ void RGWGetObj::execute(optional_yield y)
   }
 
 #ifdef WITH_ARROW_FLIGHT
-  if (ofs == 0) {
-    // insert a GetObj_Filter to monitor and create flight
-    flight_filter.emplace(s, filter);
-    filter = &*flight_filter;
+  if (s->penv.flight_store) {
+    if (ofs == 0) {
+      // insert a GetObj_Filter to monitor and create flight
+      flight_filter.emplace(s, filter);
+      filter = &*flight_filter;
+    }
+  } else {
+    ldpp_dout(this, 0) << "ERROR: flight_store not created in " << __func__ << dendl;
   }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_process_env.h b/src/rgw/rgw_process_env.h
index 7e3abad65a7..4becf21a10f 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_process_env.h
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_process_env.h
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ struct RGWProcessEnv {
 
 #ifdef WITH_ARROW_FLIGHT
   // managed by rgw:flight::FlightFrontend in rgw_flight_frontend.cc
-  rgw::flight::FlightServer* flight_server;
-  rgw::flight::FlightStore* flight_store;
+  rgw::flight::FlightServer* flight_server = nullptr;
+  rgw::flight::FlightStore* flight_store = nullptr;
 #endif
 };