diff --git a/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClient.java b/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClient.java
index 250ab800..de4e8668 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClient.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClient.java
@@ -16,23 +16,25 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cloud.zookeeper.discovery;
 
-import static org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils.rethrowRuntimeException;
-
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.List;
-
+import lombok.SneakyThrows;
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 import org.apache.curator.x.discovery.ServiceInstance;
 import org.springframework.cloud.client.DefaultServiceInstance;
 import org.springframework.cloud.client.discovery.DiscoveryClient;
 import org.springframework.cloud.zookeeper.discovery.dependency.ZookeeperDependencies;
 
-import lombok.SneakyThrows;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils.rethrowRuntimeException;
 
 /**
  * @author Spencer Gibb
  * @author Marcin Grzejszczak, 4financeIT
  */
+@Slf4j
 public class ZookeeperDiscoveryClient implements DiscoveryClient {
 
 	private ZookeeperServiceDiscovery serviceDiscovery;
@@ -93,7 +95,11 @@ public class ZookeeperDiscoveryClient implements DiscoveryClient {
 
 	@Override
 	public List<String> getServices() {
-		ArrayList<String> services = null;
+		List<String> services = null;
+		if (this.serviceDiscovery.getServiceDiscovery() == null) {
+			log.warn("Service Discovery is not yet ready - returning empty list of services");
+			return Collections.emptyList();
+		}
 		try {
 			services = new ArrayList<>(this.serviceDiscovery.getServiceDiscovery().queryForNames());
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClientSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClientSpec.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91925063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-zookeeper-discovery/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/zookeeper/discovery/ZookeeperDiscoveryClientSpec.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package org.springframework.cloud.zookeeper.discovery
+
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+/**
+ * @author Marcin Grzejszczak
+ */
+class ZookeeperDiscoveryClientSpec extends Specification {
+
+	def "should return an empty list of services if service discovery is null"() {
+		given:
+			ZookeeperServiceDiscovery serviceDiscovery = Stub()
+			ZookeeperDiscoveryClient zookeeperDiscoveryClient = new ZookeeperDiscoveryClient(serviceDiscovery, null)
+		when:
+			List<String> services = zookeeperDiscoveryClient.getServices()
+		then:
+			assert services.empty
+	}
+}
+