diff --git a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Caching.cs b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Caching.cs
index af1c610e3ee573..1ae82bd892f326 100644
--- a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Caching.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Caching.cs
@@ -284,18 +284,20 @@ public bool Equals(JsonSerializerOptions? left, JsonSerializerOptions? right)
                     left._typeInfoResolver == right._typeInfoResolver &&
                     CompareLists(left._converters, right._converters);
 
-                static bool CompareLists<TValue>(ConfigurationList<TValue> left, ConfigurationList<TValue> right)
+                static bool CompareLists<TValue>(ConfigurationList<TValue>? left, ConfigurationList<TValue>? right)
                     where TValue : class?
                 {
-                    int n;
-                    if ((n = left.Count) != right.Count)
+                    int leftCount = left is null ? 0 : left.Count;
+                    int rightCount = right is null ? 0 : right.Count;
+
+                    if (leftCount != rightCount)
                     {
                         return false;
                     }
 
-                    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
+                    for (int i = 0; i < leftCount; i++)
                     {
-                        if (left[i] != right[i])
+                        if (left![i] != right![i])
                         {
                             return false;
                         }
@@ -331,12 +333,15 @@ public int GetHashCode(JsonSerializerOptions options)
 
                 return hc.ToHashCode();
 
-                static void AddListHashCode<TValue>(ref HashCode hc, ConfigurationList<TValue> list)
+                static void AddListHashCode<TValue>(ref HashCode hc, ConfigurationList<TValue>? list)
                 {
-                    int n = list.Count;
-                    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
+                    if (list != null)
                     {
-                        AddHashCode(ref hc, list[i]);
+                        int n = list.Count;
+                        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
+                        {
+                            AddHashCode(ref hc, list[i]);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.cs b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.cs
index 14babcfc270dbb..55a7a4c5bd4e06 100644
--- a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public sealed partial class JsonSerializerOptions
         /// <remarks>
         /// Once serialization or deserialization occurs, the list cannot be modified.
         /// </remarks>
-        public IList<JsonConverter> Converters => _converters;
+        public IList<JsonConverter> Converters => _converters ??= new ConverterList(this);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns the converter for the specified type.
@@ -66,11 +66,14 @@ internal JsonConverter GetConverterInternal(Type typeToConvert)
 
         internal JsonConverter? GetConverterFromList(Type typeToConvert)
         {
-            foreach (JsonConverter item in _converters)
+            if (_converters != null)
             {
-                if (item.CanConvert(typeToConvert))
+                foreach (JsonConverter item in _converters)
                 {
-                    return item;
+                    if (item.CanConvert(typeToConvert))
+                    {
+                        return item;
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.cs b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.cs
index 698be489adf6ac..f89f21e10522f5 100644
--- a/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonSerializerOptions.cs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public static JsonSerializerOptions Default
         private JsonCommentHandling _readCommentHandling;
         private ReferenceHandler? _referenceHandler;
         private JavaScriptEncoder? _encoder;
-        private ConfigurationList<JsonConverter> _converters;
+        private ConfigurationList<JsonConverter>? _converters;
         private JsonIgnoreCondition _defaultIgnoreCondition;
         private JsonNumberHandling _numberHandling;
         private JsonUnknownTypeHandling _unknownTypeHandling;
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ public static JsonSerializerOptions Default
         /// </summary>
         public JsonSerializerOptions()
         {
-            _converters = new ConverterList(this);
             TrackOptionsInstance(this);
         }
 
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@ public JsonSerializerOptions(JsonSerializerOptions options)
             _jsonPropertyNamingPolicy = options._jsonPropertyNamingPolicy;
             _readCommentHandling = options._readCommentHandling;
             _referenceHandler = options._referenceHandler;
-            _converters = new ConverterList(this, options._converters);
+            _converters = options._converters is null ? null : new ConverterList(this, options._converters);
             _encoder = options._encoder;
             _defaultIgnoreCondition = options._defaultIgnoreCondition;
             _numberHandling = options._numberHandling;
@@ -121,9 +120,6 @@ public JsonSerializerOptions(JsonSerializerOptions options)
             EffectiveMaxDepth = options.EffectiveMaxDepth;
             ReferenceHandlingStrategy = options.ReferenceHandlingStrategy;
 
-            // _cachingContext is not copied as sharing the JsonTypeInfo and JsonPropertyInfo caches can result in
-            // unnecessary references to type metadata, potentially hindering garbage collection on the source options.
-
             TrackOptionsInstance(this);
         }