diff --git a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
index b22e7abe1fd55..1fa0f7e8b3292 100644
--- a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
+++ b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
@@ -56,13 +56,14 @@
 import org.apache.flink.util.FlinkException;
 import org.apache.flink.util.Preconditions;
 
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 
@@ -93,7 +94,8 @@ public abstract class Dispatcher extends FencedRpcEndpoint<DispatcherId> impleme
 
 	private final LeaderElectionService leaderElectionService;
 
-	private final CompletableFuture<String> restAddressFuture;
+	@Nullable
+	protected final String restAddress;
 
 	protected Dispatcher(
 			RpcService rpcService,
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ protected Dispatcher(
 			HeartbeatServices heartbeatServices,
 			MetricRegistry metricRegistry,
 			FatalErrorHandler fatalErrorHandler,
-			Optional<String> restAddress) throws Exception {
+			@Nullable String restAddress) throws Exception {
 		super(rpcService, endpointId);
 
 		this.configuration = Preconditions.checkNotNull(configuration);
@@ -124,10 +126,8 @@ protected Dispatcher(
 		jobManagerRunners = new HashMap<>(16);
 
 		leaderElectionService = highAvailabilityServices.getDispatcherLeaderElectionService();
-		this.restAddressFuture = restAddress
-			.map(CompletableFuture::completedFuture)
-			.orElse(FutureUtils.completedExceptionally(new DispatcherException("The Dispatcher has not been started with a REST endpoint.")));
 
+		this.restAddress = restAddress;
 	}
 
 	//------------------------------------------------------
@@ -275,7 +275,11 @@ public CompletableFuture<Acknowledge> stopJob(JobID jobId, Time timeout) {
 
 	@Override
 	public CompletableFuture<String> requestRestAddress(Time timeout) {
-		return restAddressFuture;
+		if (restAddress != null) {
+			return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(restAddress);
+		} else {
+			return FutureUtils.completedExceptionally(new DispatcherException("The Dispatcher has not been started with a REST endpoint."));
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/StandaloneDispatcher.java b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/StandaloneDispatcher.java
index 5a6889ef36aae..3ba681cfb64ce 100644
--- a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/StandaloneDispatcher.java
+++ b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/StandaloneDispatcher.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 import org.apache.flink.runtime.rpc.FatalErrorHandler;
 import org.apache.flink.runtime.rpc.RpcService;
 
-import java.util.Optional;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 /**
  * Dispatcher implementation which spawns a {@link JobMaster} for each
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public StandaloneDispatcher(
 			HeartbeatServices heartbeatServices,
 			MetricRegistry metricRegistry,
 			FatalErrorHandler fatalErrorHandler,
-			Optional<String> restAddress) throws Exception {
+			@Nullable String restAddress) throws Exception {
 		super(
 			rpcService,
 			endpointId,
diff --git a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/entrypoint/SessionClusterEntrypoint.java b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/entrypoint/SessionClusterEntrypoint.java
index 3feb0055e38f0..27ddf49a2e5ab 100644
--- a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/entrypoint/SessionClusterEntrypoint.java
+++ b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/entrypoint/SessionClusterEntrypoint.java
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
 
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem;
 
-import java.util.Optional;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 /**
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ protected void startClusterComponents(
 			heartbeatServices,
 			metricRegistry,
 			this,
-			Optional.of(dispatcherRestEndpoint.getRestAddress()));
+			dispatcherRestEndpoint.getRestAddress());
 
 		LOG.debug("Starting ResourceManager.");
 		resourceManager.start();
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ protected Dispatcher createDispatcher(
 		HeartbeatServices heartbeatServices,
 		MetricRegistry metricRegistry,
 		FatalErrorHandler fatalErrorHandler,
-		Optional<String> restAddress) throws Exception {
+		@Nullable String restAddress) throws Exception {
 
 		// create the default dispatcher
 		return new StandaloneDispatcher(
diff --git a/flink-runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/DispatcherTest.java b/flink-runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/DispatcherTest.java
index a511d455b7e25..d5b63d4f615ce 100644
--- a/flink-runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/DispatcherTest.java
+++ b/flink-runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/dispatcher/DispatcherTest.java
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 import org.junit.rules.TestName;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -224,7 +223,7 @@ protected TestingDispatcher(
 				heartbeatServices,
 				metricRegistry,
 				fatalErrorHandler,
-				Optional.empty());
+				null);
 
 			this.jobManagerRunner = jobManagerRunner;
 			this.expectedJobId = expectedJobId;