diff --git a/Content.Server/Physics/Components/ChasingWalkComponent.cs b/Content.Server/Physics/Components/ChasingWalkComponent.cs
index 222c9d64db..819fd80939 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Physics/Components/ChasingWalkComponent.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Physics/Components/ChasingWalkComponent.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public sealed partial class ChasingWalkComponent : Component
     /// The component that the entity is chasing
     /// </summary>
     [DataField(required: true)]
-    public ComponentRegistry ChasingComponent = default!;
+    public ComponentRegistry ChasingComponent = [];
 
     /// <summary>
     /// The maximum radius in which the entity chooses the target component to follow
diff --git a/Content.Server/Physics/Controllers/ChasingWalkSystem.cs b/Content.Server/Physics/Controllers/ChasingWalkSystem.cs
index 618dd4156f..fa55ce024e 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Physics/Controllers/ChasingWalkSystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Physics/Controllers/ChasingWalkSystem.cs
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ public sealed class ChasingWalkSystem : VirtualController
 
     private void ChangeTarget(EntityUid uid, ChasingWalkComponent component)
     {
+        if (component.ChasingComponent.Count <= 0)
+            return;
+
         //We find our coordinates and calculate the radius of the target search.
         var xform = Transform(uid);
         var range = component.MaxChaseRadius;