diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ab087aee6..f2e44924f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,4 +8,3 @@ Documentation
 [https://ibm-mas.github.io/gitops/](https://ibm-mas.github.io/gitops/)
 
 [https://github.com/ibm-mas/gitops-demo/tree/002](https://github.com/ibm-mas/gitops-demo/tree/002)
-
diff --git a/cluster-applications/030-ibm-dro/templates/08-postsync-update-sm_Job.yaml b/cluster-applications/030-ibm-dro/templates/08-postsync-update-sm_Job.yaml
index 9e85e0f1a..4fd0d4e87 100644
--- a/cluster-applications/030-ibm-dro/templates/08-postsync-update-sm_Job.yaml
+++ b/cluster-applications/030-ibm-dro/templates/08-postsync-update-sm_Job.yaml
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ spec:
           secret:
             secretName: dro-tls-secret
             defaultMode: 420
-            optional: false
+            optional: true
   backoffLimit: 4
 {{- end }}
 
diff --git a/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/030-ibm-dro-app.yaml b/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/030-ibm-dro-app.yaml
index 90da3158f..417a47082 100644
--- a/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/030-ibm-dro-app.yaml
+++ b/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/030-ibm-dro-app.yaml
@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ spec:
             dro_cmm_setup: "{{ .Values.ibm_dro.dro_cmm_setup }}"
             dro_install_plan: "{{ .Values.ibm_dro.dro_install_plan }}"
             dro_public_domain: "{{ .Values.ibm_dro.dro_public_domain }}"
+            {{- if not (empty .Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager) }}
             dns_provider: "{{ .Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager.dns_provider }}"
             ocp_cluster_domain: "{{ .Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager.ocp_cluster_domain }}"
             cis_apikey: "{{ .Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager.cis_apikey }}"
+            {{- end }}
             cis_crn: "{{ .Values.ibm_dro.cis_crn }}"
             imo_install_plan: "{{ .Values.ibm_dro.imo_install_plan }}"
             cli_image_repo: {{ .Values.cli_image_repo }}
diff --git a/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/031-ibm-dro-public.yaml b/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/031-ibm-dro-public.yaml
index 502d3f44a..dee149cbf 100644
--- a/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/031-ibm-dro-public.yaml
+++ b/root-applications/ibm-mas-cluster-root/templates/031-ibm-dro-public.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 {{- if not (empty .Values.ibm_dro) }}
+
+# Prevent "<.Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager.dns_provider>: nil pointer evaluating interface {}.dns_provider" error when (optional) ibm_cis_cert_manager values are absent
+{{- if not (empty .Values.ibm_cis_cert_manager) }}
+
 ---
 # IBM Maximo Operator Catalog
 apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
@@ -70,4 +74,5 @@ spec:
       - CreateNamespace=false
       - RespectIgnoreDifferences=true
       - Validate=false
+{{- end }}
 {{- end }}
\ No newline at end of file