diff --git a/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeNodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTest.java b/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTest.java
similarity index 96%
rename from acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeNodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTest.java
rename to acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTest.java
index bac4e14c2c..e901952f31 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeNodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTest.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTest.java
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-public class NodeNodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTest
-    extends NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase {
+public class NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTest
+    extends NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase {
 
   private Node bootnode;
   private Node permissionedNode;
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java b/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java
similarity index 96%
rename from acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java
rename to acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java
index 5dd9ec59f0..50ae9a3166 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/tests/acceptance/permissioning/NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
-class NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase extends AcceptanceTestBase {
+class NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase extends AcceptanceTestBase {
 
   private final NodeSmartContractPermissioningTransactions smartContractNodePermissioning;
   private final NodeSmartContractPermissioningConditions nodeSmartContractPermissioningConditions;
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase extends AcceptanceTes
 
   protected final Cluster permissionedCluster;
 
-  protected NodeSmartContractNodePermissioningAcceptanceTestBase() {
+  protected NodeSmartContractPermissioningAcceptanceTestBase() {
     super();
     smartContractNodePermissioning = new NodeSmartContractPermissioningTransactions(accounts);
     nodeSmartContractPermissioningConditions =
diff --git a/ethereum/permissioning/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/NodePermissioningControllerFactory.java b/ethereum/permissioning/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/NodePermissioningControllerFactory.java
index edbbb48a6e..db48e7a7a0 100644
--- a/ethereum/permissioning/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/NodePermissioningControllerFactory.java
+++ b/ethereum/permissioning/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/NodePermissioningControllerFactory.java
@@ -59,9 +59,12 @@ public NodePermissioningController create(
         providers.add(smartContractProvider);
       }
 
-      final SyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider syncStatusProvider =
-          new SyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider(synchronizer, fixedNodes);
-      syncStatusProviderOptional = Optional.of(syncStatusProvider);
+      if (fixedNodes.isEmpty()) {
+        syncStatusProviderOptional = Optional.empty();
+      } else {
+        syncStatusProviderOptional =
+            Optional.of(new SyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider(synchronizer, fixedNodes));
+      }
     } else {
       syncStatusProviderOptional = Optional.empty();
     }
diff --git a/ethereum/permissioning/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/node/NodePermissioningControllerFactoryTest.java b/ethereum/permissioning/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/node/NodePermissioningControllerFactoryTest.java
index 0940245f08..053175aa57 100644
--- a/ethereum/permissioning/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/node/NodePermissioningControllerFactoryTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/permissioning/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/permissioning/node/NodePermissioningControllerFactoryTest.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public void testCreateWithSmartContractNodePermissioningEnabledOnly() {
 
     NodePermissioningProvider p1 = providers.get(0);
     assertThat(p1).isInstanceOf(NodeSmartContractPermissioningController.class);
-    assertThat(controller.getSyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider()).isPresent();
+    assertThat(controller.getSyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider()).isEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -137,6 +137,26 @@ public void testCreateWithLocalNodeAndSmartContractPermissioningEnabled() {
       assertThat(p2).isInstanceOf(NodeLocalConfigPermissioningController.class);
       assertThat(p1).isInstanceOf(NodeSmartContractPermissioningController.class);
     }
+    assertThat(controller.getSyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCreateWithSmartContractNodePermissioningEnabledOnlyAndBootnode() {
+    final Collection<EnodeURL> fixedNodes = Collections.singleton(selfEnode);
+
+    smartContractPermissioningConfiguration = new SmartContractPermissioningConfiguration();
+    smartContractPermissioningConfiguration.setNodeSmartContractAddress(
+        Address.fromHexString("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000001234"));
+    smartContractPermissioningConfiguration.setSmartContractNodeWhitelistEnabled(true);
+    config =
+        new PermissioningConfiguration(
+            Optional.empty(), Optional.of(smartContractPermissioningConfiguration));
+
+    NodePermissioningControllerFactory factory = new NodePermissioningControllerFactory();
+    NodePermissioningController controller =
+        factory.create(
+            config, synchronizer, fixedNodes, selfEnode.getNodeId(), transactionSimulator);
+
     assertThat(controller.getSyncStatusNodePermissioningProvider()).isPresent();
   }
 }