diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/routing/weighting/custom/FindMinMax.java b/core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/routing/weighting/custom/FindMinMax.java
index 97b2156d577..9aa5a1c8eed 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/routing/weighting/custom/FindMinMax.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/routing/weighting/custom/FindMinMax.java
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ public class FindMinMax {
     public static void checkLMConstraints(CustomModel baseModel, CustomModel queryModel, EncodedValueLookup lookup) {
         if (queryModel.isInternal())
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("CustomModel of query cannot be internal");
-        double qmDI = queryModel.getDistanceInfluence() == null ? 0 : queryModel.getDistanceInfluence();
-        double bmDI = baseModel.getDistanceInfluence() == null ? 0 : baseModel.getDistanceInfluence();
-        if (qmDI < bmDI)
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("CustomModel in query can only use " +
-                    "distance_influence bigger or equal to " + bmDI + ", but was: " + qmDI);
+        if (queryModel.getDistanceInfluence() != null) {
+            double bmDI = baseModel.getDistanceInfluence() == null ? 0 : baseModel.getDistanceInfluence();
+            if (queryModel.getDistanceInfluence() < bmDI)
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("CustomModel in query can only use distance_influence bigger or equal to "
+                        + bmDI + ", but was: " + queryModel.getDistanceInfluence());
+        }
 
         checkMultiplyValue(queryModel.getPriority(), lookup);
         checkMultiplyValue(queryModel.getSpeed(), lookup);
diff --git a/web/src/test/java/com/graphhopper/application/resources/RouteResourceCustomModelLMTest.java b/web/src/test/java/com/graphhopper/application/resources/RouteResourceCustomModelLMTest.java
index 988018f6096..32421e7cb42 100644
--- a/web/src/test/java/com/graphhopper/application/resources/RouteResourceCustomModelLMTest.java
+++ b/web/src/test/java/com/graphhopper/application/resources/RouteResourceCustomModelLMTest.java
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ private static GraphHopperServerConfiguration createConfig() {
                 putObject("import.osm.ignored_highways", "").
                 putObject("graph.encoded_values", "surface").
                 setProfiles(Arrays.asList(
-                        // give strange profile names to ensure that we do not mix vehicle and profile:
-                        new CustomProfile("car_custom").setCustomModel(new CustomModel()).setVehicle("car"),
+                        new CustomProfile("car_custom").setCustomModel(new CustomModel().setDistanceInfluence(15d)).setVehicle("car"),
                         new Profile("foot_profile").setVehicle("foot").setWeighting("fastest"),
                         new CustomProfile("foot_custom").setCustomModel(new CustomModel()).setVehicle("foot"))).
                 setLMProfiles(Arrays.asList(new LMProfile("car_custom"), new LMProfile("foot_custom")));