diff --git a/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy.go b/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy.go
index 8d3bbbf6c8..14ad6a2be0 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy.go
@@ -294,9 +294,20 @@ func validateOIDC(oidc *v1.OIDC, fieldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 
 func validateAPIKey(apiKey *v1.APIKey, fieldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
+
+	if apiKey == nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath, "apiKey cannot be nil"))
+		return allErrs
+	}
+
+	if apiKey.SuppliedIn == nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("suppliedIn"), "suppliedIn cannot be nil"))
+		return allErrs
+	}
+
 	if apiKey.SuppliedIn.Query == nil && apiKey.SuppliedIn.Header == nil {
 		msg := "at least one query or header name must be provided"
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("SuppliedIn"), msg))
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("suppliedIn"), msg))
 	}
 
 	if apiKey.SuppliedIn.Header != nil {
@@ -316,11 +327,11 @@ func validateAPIKey(apiKey *v1.APIKey, fieldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	}
 
 	if apiKey.ClientSecret == "" {
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("clientSecret"), ""))
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("clientSecret"), "clientSecret cannot be empty"))
+	} else {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, validateSecretName(apiKey.ClientSecret, fieldPath.Child("clientSecret"))...)
 	}
 
-	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateSecretName(apiKey.ClientSecret, fieldPath.Child("clientSecret"))...)
-
 	return allErrs
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy_test.go b/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy_test.go
index bf2482b7fd..e5971883c2 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/configuration/validation/policy_test.go
@@ -1680,6 +1680,16 @@ func TestValidateAPIKeyPolicy_FailsOnInvalidInput(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			msg: "invalid secret name",
 		},
+		{
+			apiKey: &v1.APIKey{
+				ClientSecret: "secret_1",
+			},
+			msg: "no suppliedIn provided",
+		},
+
+		{
+			apiKey: nil, msg: "no apikey provided",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {