diff --git a/dao/src/main/java/org/thingsboard/server/dao/sql/query/DefaultEntityQueryRepository.java b/dao/src/main/java/org/thingsboard/server/dao/sql/query/DefaultEntityQueryRepository.java
index 134ee1ab34..59964d1949 100644
--- a/dao/src/main/java/org/thingsboard/server/dao/sql/query/DefaultEntityQueryRepository.java
+++ b/dao/src/main/java/org/thingsboard/server/dao/sql/query/DefaultEntityQueryRepository.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.thingsboard.server.dao.sql.query;
 
+import jakarta.annotation.PostConstruct;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -318,6 +320,11 @@ public class DefaultEntityQueryRepository implements EntityQueryRepository {
             .replace("$in", "from").replace("$out", "to")
             .replace("$rootIdCondition", "in (:relation_root_ids)");
 
+    private static final String NULLS_ORDER_DEFAULT = "default";
+    private static final String NULLS_ORDER_FIRST = "nulls_first";
+    private static final String NULLS_ORDER_LAST = "nulls_last";
+    private static final Set<String> ACCEPTED_NULLS_ORDER_STRATEGIES = Set.of(NULLS_ORDER_DEFAULT, NULLS_ORDER_FIRST, NULLS_ORDER_LAST);
+
     @Getter
     @Value("${sql.relations.max_level:50}")
     int maxLevelAllowed; //This value has to be reasonable small to prevent infinite recursion as early as possible
@@ -336,6 +343,15 @@ public class DefaultEntityQueryRepository implements EntityQueryRepository {
         this.queryLog = queryLog;
     }
 
+    @PostConstruct
+    void validateNullsOrderStrategy() {
+        if (!ACCEPTED_NULLS_ORDER_STRATEGIES.contains(nullsOrderStrategy)) {
+            log.error("Invalid value '{}' for sql.entity_data_query_nulls_order_strategy. Accepted values are: {}. Falling back to '{}'.",
+                    nullsOrderStrategy, ACCEPTED_NULLS_ORDER_STRATEGIES, NULLS_ORDER_DEFAULT);
+            nullsOrderStrategy = NULLS_ORDER_DEFAULT;
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public long countEntitiesByQuery(TenantId tenantId, CustomerId customerId, EntityCountQuery query) {
         EntityType entityType = resolveEntityType(query.getEntityFilter());
@@ -532,8 +548,8 @@ public class DefaultEntityQueryRepository implements EntityQueryRepository {
 
     private String resolveNullsOrder() {
         return switch (nullsOrderStrategy) {
-            case "nulls_first" -> " NULLS FIRST";
-            case "nulls_last" -> " NULLS LAST";
+            case NULLS_ORDER_FIRST -> " NULLS FIRST";
+            case NULLS_ORDER_LAST -> " NULLS LAST";
             default -> "";
         };
     }