diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
index d243dc734..64884216a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
@@ -253,16 +253,19 @@ public class Dispatcher {
         }
 
         configurationManager = new ConfigurationManager();
+        String configFiles = null;
         if (Settings.isSet(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_CONFIGURATION_FILES)) {
             configFiles = Settings.get(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_CONFIGURATION_FILES);
         }
-        String[] files = configFiles.split("\\s*[,]\\s*");
-        for (String file : files) {
-            if ("xwork.xml".equals(file)) {
-                configurationManager.addConfigurationProvider(new XmlConfigurationProvider(file, false));
-            } else {
-                configurationManager.addConfigurationProvider(new StrutsXmlConfigurationProvider(file, false));
-            }
+        if (configFiles != null) {
+	        String[] files = configFiles.split("\\s*[,]\\s*");
+	        for (String file : files) {
+	            if ("xwork.xml".equals(file)) {
+	                configurationManager.addConfigurationProvider(new XmlConfigurationProvider(file, false));
+	            } else {
+	                configurationManager.addConfigurationProvider(new StrutsXmlConfigurationProvider(file, false));
+	            }
+	        }
         }
 
         synchronized(Dispatcher.class) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/config/SettingsTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/config/SettingsTest.java
index 06cad1db7..7abc6bc8b 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/config/SettingsTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/config/SettingsTest.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public class SettingsTest extends StrutsTestCase {
         assertEquals("de", locale.getLanguage());
 
         int count = getKeyCount();
-        assertEquals(30, count);
+        assertEquals(31, count);
     }
 
     public void testDefaultResourceBundlesLoaded() {