diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport.java
index edcd767c2..c74de18f5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public abstract class RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport<T extends Repository<S, ID>,
 	private Optional<Object> customImplementation = Optional.empty();
 	private Optional<RepositoryFragments> repositoryFragments = Optional.empty();
 	private NamedQueries namedQueries;
-	private Optional<MappingContext<?, ?>> mappingContext;
+	private Optional<MappingContext<?, ?>> mappingContext = Optional.empty();
 	private ClassLoader classLoader;
 	private BeanFactory beanFactory;
 	private boolean lazyInit = false;
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ public abstract class RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport<T extends Repository<S, ID>,
 	 *
 	 * @param repositoryInterface must not be {@literal null}.
 	 */
-	@SuppressWarnings("null")
 	protected RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport(Class<? extends T> repositoryInterface) {
 
 		Assert.notNull(repositoryInterface, "Repository interface must not be null!");
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupportUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupportUnitTests.java
index 0aeb77072..9ce42fd12 100755
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupportUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/RepositoryFactoryBeanSupportUnitTests.java
@@ -72,6 +72,24 @@ public class RepositoryFactoryBeanSupportUnitTests {
 		assertThat(information.getQueryMethods()).isEmpty();
 	}
 
+	@Test // DATACMNS-1345
+	public void reportsMappingContextUnavailableForPersistentEntityLookup() {
+
+		RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport<SampleRepository, Object, Long> bean = new RepositoryFactoryBeanSupport<SampleRepository, Object, Long>(
+				SampleRepository.class) {
+
+			@Override
+			protected RepositoryFactorySupport createRepositoryFactory() {
+				return new DummyRepositoryFactory(mock(SampleRepository.class));
+			}
+		};
+
+		bean.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalStateException.class) //
+				.isThrownBy(() -> bean.getPersistentEntity());
+	}
+
 	interface SampleRepository extends Repository<Object, Long> {}
 
 	interface SampleWithQuerydslRepository extends Repository<Object, Long>, QuerydslPredicateExecutor<Object> {}