diff --git a/management/cmd/management.go b/management/cmd/management.go
index a8f9aa321..8723d309e 100644
--- a/management/cmd/management.go
+++ b/management/cmd/management.go
@@ -214,17 +214,27 @@ func LoadMgmtConfig(ctx context.Context, mgmtConfigPath string) (*nbconfig.Confi
 // ApplyCommandLineOverrides applies command-line flag overrides to the config
 func ApplyCommandLineOverrides(cfg *nbconfig.Config) {
 	if mgmtLetsencryptDomain != "" {
-		cfg.HttpConfig.LetsEncryptDomain = mgmtLetsencryptDomain
+		ensureHttpConfig(cfg).LetsEncryptDomain = mgmtLetsencryptDomain
 	}
 	if mgmtDataDir != "" {
 		cfg.Datadir = mgmtDataDir
 	}
 	if certKey != "" && certFile != "" {
-		cfg.HttpConfig.CertFile = certFile
-		cfg.HttpConfig.CertKey = certKey
+		httpConfig := ensureHttpConfig(cfg)
+		httpConfig.CertFile = certFile
+		httpConfig.CertKey = certKey
 	}
 }
 
+// ensureHttpConfig creates the HttpConfig section only when a flag writes to
+// it, since the embedded IdP warns about any HttpConfig it finds.
+func ensureHttpConfig(cfg *nbconfig.Config) *nbconfig.HttpServerConfig {
+	if cfg.HttpConfig == nil {
+		cfg.HttpConfig = &nbconfig.HttpServerConfig{}
+	}
+	return cfg.HttpConfig
+}
+
 // ApplyEmbeddedIdPConfig populates HttpConfig and EmbeddedIdP storage from config when embedded IdP is enabled.
 // This allows users to only specify EmbeddedIdP config without duplicating values in HttpConfig.
 func ApplyEmbeddedIdPConfig(ctx context.Context, cfg *nbconfig.Config) error {
diff --git a/management/cmd/management_test.go b/management/cmd/management_test.go
index e34e1975e..bf386e4ba 100644
--- a/management/cmd/management_test.go
+++ b/management/cmd/management_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,55 @@ func TestApplyEmbeddedIdPConfigRequiresSingleAccountDomain(t *testing.T) {
 	require.ErrorContains(t, ApplyEmbeddedIdPConfig(context.Background(), cfg), "embedded IdP requires single account mode")
 }
 
+// A config without an HttpConfig section is valid with the embedded IdP, so the
+// TLS flags must not assume the section exists.
+func TestApplyCommandLineOverridesWithoutHttpConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	previousDomain, previousCertFile, previousCertKey := mgmtLetsencryptDomain, certFile, certKey
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		mgmtLetsencryptDomain, certFile, certKey = previousDomain, previousCertFile, previousCertKey
+	})
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		domain   string
+		certFile string
+		certKey  string
+		want     nbconfig.HttpServerConfig
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "letsencrypt domain",
+			domain: "mgmt.example.com",
+			want:   nbconfig.HttpServerConfig{LetsEncryptDomain: "mgmt.example.com"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "certificate files",
+			certFile: "/etc/netbird/tls/tls.crt",
+			certKey:  "/etc/netbird/tls/tls.key",
+			want:     nbconfig.HttpServerConfig{CertFile: "/etc/netbird/tls/tls.crt", CertKey: "/etc/netbird/tls/tls.key"},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			mgmtLetsencryptDomain, certFile, certKey = tt.domain, tt.certFile, tt.certKey
+			cfg := &nbconfig.Config{}
+
+			ApplyCommandLineOverrides(cfg)
+
+			require.NotNil(t, cfg.HttpConfig, "HttpConfig should be created for the TLS flags")
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, *cfg.HttpConfig, "HttpConfig should carry only the flag values")
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run("no TLS flags", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mgmtLetsencryptDomain, certFile, certKey = "", "", ""
+		cfg := &nbconfig.Config{}
+
+		ApplyCommandLineOverrides(cfg)
+
+		assert.Nil(t, cfg.HttpConfig, "HttpConfig should stay unset so the embedded IdP does not warn about it")
+	})
+}
+
 func createConfig(config string) (string, error) {
 	tmpfile, err := os.CreateTemp("", "config.json")
 	if err != nil {