diff --git a/src/cluster.c b/src/cluster.c
index 7c7fef80..bd1de54f 100644
--- a/src/cluster.c
+++ b/src/cluster.c
@@ -1264,11 +1264,6 @@ int valkeyClusterUpdateSlotmap(valkeyClusterContext *cc) {
         return VALKEY_ERR;
     }
 
-    if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
-        valkeyClusterSetError(cc, VALKEY_ERR_OTHER, "no server address");
-        return VALKEY_ERR;
-    }
-
     dictIterator di;
     dictInitIterator(&di, cc->nodes);
 
@@ -1301,6 +1296,11 @@ valkeyClusterContext *valkeyClusterContextInit(void) {
     if (cc == NULL)
         return NULL;
 
+    cc->nodes = dictCreate(&clusterNodesDictType, NULL);
+    if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
+        valkeyClusterFree(cc);
+        return NULL;
+    }
     cc->max_retry_count = CLUSTER_DEFAULT_MAX_RETRY_COUNT;
     return cc;
 }
@@ -1384,13 +1384,6 @@ static int valkeyClusterSetOptionAddNode(valkeyClusterContext *cc, const char *a
         return VALKEY_ERR;
     }
 
-    if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
-        cc->nodes = dictCreate(&clusterNodesDictType, NULL);
-        if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
-            goto oom;
-        }
-    }
-
     sds addr_sds = sdsnew(addr);
     if (addr_sds == NULL) {
         goto oom;
@@ -1631,7 +1624,7 @@ int valkeyClusterSetOptionTimeout(valkeyClusterContext *cc,
         memcpy(cc->command_timeout, &tv, sizeof(struct timeval));
 
         /* Set timeout on already connected nodes */
-        if (cc->nodes && dictSize(cc->nodes) > 0) {
+        if (dictSize(cc->nodes) > 0) {
             dictEntry *de;
             valkeyClusterNode *node;
 
@@ -1688,7 +1681,7 @@ int valkeyClusterConnect2(valkeyClusterContext *cc) {
         return VALKEY_ERR;
     }
 
-    if (cc->nodes == NULL || dictSize(cc->nodes) == 0) {
+    if (dictSize(cc->nodes) == 0) {
         valkeyClusterSetError(cc, VALKEY_ERR_OTHER,
                               "server address not configured");
         return VALKEY_ERR;
@@ -2543,7 +2536,7 @@ static int valkeyClusterSendAll(valkeyClusterContext *cc) {
     valkeyContext *c = NULL;
     int wdone = 0;
 
-    if (cc == NULL || cc->nodes == NULL) {
+    if (cc == NULL) {
         return VALKEY_ERR;
     }
 
@@ -2584,10 +2577,6 @@ static int valkeyClusterClearAll(valkeyClusterContext *cc) {
 
     valkeyClusterClearError(cc);
 
-    if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
-        return VALKEY_ERR;
-    }
-
     dictIterator di;
     dictInitIterator(&di, cc->nodes);
 
@@ -2674,7 +2663,7 @@ void valkeyClusterReset(valkeyClusterContext *cc) {
     int status;
     void *reply;
 
-    if (cc == NULL || cc->nodes == NULL) {
+    if (cc == NULL) {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -3051,11 +3040,6 @@ static int updateSlotMapAsync(valkeyClusterAsyncContext *acc,
     }
 
     if (ac == NULL) {
-        if (acc->cc->nodes == NULL) {
-            valkeyClusterAsyncSetError(acc, VALKEY_ERR_OTHER, "no nodes added");
-            goto error;
-        }
-
         valkeyClusterNode *node = selectNode(acc->cc->nodes);
         if (node == NULL) {
             goto error;
@@ -3520,10 +3504,6 @@ void valkeyClusterAsyncDisconnect(valkeyClusterAsyncContext *acc) {
     cc = acc->cc;
     cc->flags |= VALKEYCLUSTER_FLAG_DISCONNECTING;
 
-    if (cc->nodes == NULL) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     dictIterator di;
     dictInitIterator(&di, cc->nodes);
 
diff --git a/tests/ct_out_of_memory_handling.c b/tests/ct_out_of_memory_handling.c
index 0a56a4f8..a49a527e 100644
--- a/tests/ct_out_of_memory_handling.c
+++ b/tests/ct_out_of_memory_handling.c
@@ -117,11 +117,13 @@ void test_alloc_failure_handling(void) {
     // Context init
     valkeyClusterContext *cc;
     {
-        successfulAllocations = 0;
-        cc = valkeyClusterContextInit();
-        assert(cc == NULL);
+        for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i) {
+            successfulAllocations = i;
+            cc = valkeyClusterContextInit();
+            assert(cc == NULL);
+        }
 
-        successfulAllocations = 1;
+        successfulAllocations = 2;
         cc = valkeyClusterContextInit();
         assert(cc);
     }
@@ -485,12 +487,12 @@ void test_alloc_failure_handling_async(void) {
     // Context init
     valkeyClusterAsyncContext *acc;
     {
-        for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
             successfulAllocations = 0;
             acc = valkeyClusterAsyncContextInit();
             assert(acc == NULL);
         }
-        successfulAllocations = 2;
+        successfulAllocations = 3;
         acc = valkeyClusterAsyncContextInit();
         assert(acc);
     }