diff --git a/cli/cmd/init.go b/cli/cmd/init.go
index 29abb91db..931770f0a 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/init.go
@@ -107,7 +107,9 @@ func initialize(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, protCl protoClient, ser
 	endpoints := ipsToEndpoints(append(coordinators.PublicIPs(), nodes.PublicIPs()...), *config.CoordinatorPort)
 
 	cmd.Println("Waiting for cloud provider to finish resource creation ...")
-	waiter.InitializeValidators(validators.V())
+	if err := waiter.InitializeValidators(validators.V()); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if err := waiter.WaitForAll(ctx, endpoints, coordinatorstate.AcceptingInit); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to wait for peer status: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cli/cmd/statuswaiter.go b/cli/cmd/statuswaiter.go
index d87724102..457c03c56 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/statuswaiter.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/statuswaiter.go
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 type statusWaiter interface {
-	InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator)
+	InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator) error
 	WaitForAll(ctx context.Context, endpoints []string, status ...state.State) error
 }
diff --git a/cli/cmd/statuswaiter_test.go b/cli/cmd/statuswaiter_test.go
index 17361e8c0..dbcd78ef5 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/statuswaiter_test.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/statuswaiter_test.go
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ import (
 
 type stubStatusWaiter struct {
 	initialized   bool
+	initializeErr error
 	waitForAllErr error
 }
 
-func (s *stubStatusWaiter) InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator) {
+func (s *stubStatusWaiter) InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator) error {
 	s.initialized = true
+	return s.initializeErr
 }
 
 func (s *stubStatusWaiter) WaitForAll(ctx context.Context, endpoints []string, status ...state.State) error {
diff --git a/cli/status/status.go b/cli/status/status.go
index 99ad157d4..c0e148594 100644
--- a/cli/status/status.go
+++ b/cli/status/status.go
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ func NewWaiter() *Waiter {
 }
 
 // InitializeValidators initializes the validators for the attestation.
-func (w *Waiter) InitializeValidators(validators []atls.Validator) {
+func (w *Waiter) InitializeValidators(validators []atls.Validator) error {
+	if len(validators) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("no validators provided to initialize status waiter")
+	}
 	w.newConn = newAttestedConnGenerator(validators)
 	w.initialized = true
+	return nil
 }
 
 // WaitFor waits for a PeerStatusServer, which is reachable under the given endpoint
diff --git a/cli/status/status_test.go b/cli/status/status_test.go
index 08ed3b049..32f5458b0 100644
--- a/cli/status/status_test.go
+++ b/cli/status/status_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/coordinator/atls"
+	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/coordinator/core"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/coordinator/pubapi/pubproto"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/coordinator/state"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -23,7 +25,11 @@ func TestInitializeValidators(t *testing.T) {
 	// Uninitialized waiter fails.
 	assert.Error(waiter.WaitFor(context.Background(), "someIP", state.IsNode))
 
-	waiter.InitializeValidators(nil)
+	// Initializing waiter with no validators fails
+	assert.Error(waiter.InitializeValidators(nil))
+
+	// Initialized waiter succeeds
+	assert.NoError(waiter.InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator{core.NewMockValidator()}))
 	assert.NoError(waiter.WaitFor(context.Background(), "someIP", state.IsNode))
 }
 
diff --git a/util/pcr-reader/main.go b/util/pcr-reader/main.go
index 0bbad9f13..20ac19f67 100644
--- a/util/pcr-reader/main.go
+++ b/util/pcr-reader/main.go
@@ -45,11 +45,13 @@ func main() {
 
 	// wait for coordinator to come online
 	waiter := status.NewWaiter()
-	waiter.InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator{
+	if err := waiter.InitializeValidators([]atls.Validator{
 		azure.NewValidator(map[uint32][]byte{}),
 		gcp.NewValidator(map[uint32][]byte{}),
 		gcp.NewNonCVMValidator(map[uint32][]byte{}),
-	})
+	}); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	if err := waiter.WaitFor(ctx, addr, state.AcceptingInit, state.ActivatingNodes, state.IsNode, state.NodeWaitingForClusterJoin); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}