diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
index 1e03a8264a8e..ff6e536534fd 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
@@ -714,8 +714,11 @@ func serveHTTPApi(req *cmds.Request, cctx *oldcmds.Context) (<-chan error, error
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("serveHTTPApi: ConstructNode() failed: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := node.Repo.SetAPIAddr(rewriteMaddrToUseLocalhostIfItsAny(listeners[0].Multiaddr())); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("serveHTTPApi: SetAPIAddr() failed: %w", err)
+	if len(listeners) > 0 {
+		// Only add an api file if the API is running.
+		if err := node.Repo.SetAPIAddr(rewriteMaddrToUseLocalhostIfItsAny(listeners[0].Multiaddr())); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("serveHTTPApi: SetAPIAddr() failed: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	errc := make(chan error)
diff --git a/test/cli/daemon_test.go b/test/cli/daemon_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2d59c99da037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli/daemon_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/test/cli/harness"
+)
+
+func TestDaemon(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("daemon starts if api is set to null", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		node := harness.NewT(t).NewNode().Init()
+		node.SetIPFSConfig("API", nil)
+		node.IPFS("daemon") // can't use .StartDaemon because it do a .WaitOnAPI
+	})
+}