diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 1ddf0e068..b5c524ea7 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -3090,7 +3090,8 @@ class ProxyConfig:
         _general_settings = config_data.get("general_settings", {})
         if "alerting" in _general_settings:
             if (
-                general_settings["alerting"] is not None
+                general_settings is not None
+                and general_settings["alerting"] is not None
                 and isinstance(general_settings["alerting"], list)
                 and _general_settings["alerting"] is not None
                 and isinstance(_general_settings["alerting"], list)
@@ -3103,6 +3104,13 @@ class ProxyConfig:
                 proxy_logging_obj.slack_alerting_instance.alerting = general_settings[
                     "alerting"
                 ]
+            elif general_settings is None:
+                general_settings = {}
+                general_settings["alerting"] = _general_settings["alerting"]
+                proxy_logging_obj.alerting = general_settings["alerting"]
+                proxy_logging_obj.slack_alerting_instance.alerting = general_settings[
+                    "alerting"
+                ]
 
         if "alert_types" in _general_settings:
             general_settings["alert_types"] = _general_settings["alert_types"]