diff --git a/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingContext.java b/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingContext.java
index 906597950..384ed5a36 100644
--- a/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingContext.java
+++ b/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingContext.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import static io.smallrye.config.ConfigValidationException.Problem;
 import static io.smallrye.config.common.utils.StringUtil.unindexed;
+import static java.util.Collections.EMPTY_MAP;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.UndeclaredThrowableException;
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
 import java.util.IdentityHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
@@ -591,8 +593,12 @@ public Object apply(final String propertyName) {
 
                         if (defaultValue == null) {
                             // TODO - We should use getValues here, but this makes the Map to be required. This is a breaking change
-                            return config.getOptionalValues(propertyName, keyConverter, valueConverter, HashMap::new)
-                                    .orElse(new HashMap<>());
+                            try {
+                                return config.getOptionalValues(propertyName, keyConverter, valueConverter, HashMap::new)
+                                        .orElse(EMPTY_MAP);
+                            } catch (NoSuchElementException e) { // Can be thrown by MapConverter, but mappings shouldn't use inline map values
+                                return EMPTY_MAP;
+                            }
                         } else {
                             IntFunction<Map<K, V>> mapFactory = new IntFunction<>() {
                                 @Override
@@ -600,8 +606,12 @@ public Map<K, V> apply(final int value) {
                                     return new MapWithDefault<>(valueConverter.convert(defaultValue));
                                 }
                             };
-                            return config.getOptionalValues(propertyName, keyConverter, valueConverter, mapFactory)
-                                    .orElse(mapFactory.apply(0));
+                            try {
+                                return config.getOptionalValues(propertyName, keyConverter, valueConverter, mapFactory)
+                                        .orElse(mapFactory.apply(0));
+                            } catch (NoSuchElementException e) { // Can be thrown by MapConverter, but mappings shouldn't use inline map values
+                                return mapFactory.apply(0);
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 };
diff --git a/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingInterfaceTest.java b/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingInterfaceTest.java
index 010c64b33..ea8492a50 100644
--- a/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingInterfaceTest.java
+++ b/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/config/ConfigMappingInterfaceTest.java
@@ -2573,14 +2573,27 @@ interface IgnorePathsRecursive {
     @Test
     void nestedLeafsMaps() {
         SmallRyeConfig config = new SmallRyeConfigBuilder()
+                .withSources(config("maps.one.two", "value"))
+                .withMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class)
+                .build();
+        NestedLeadfsMaps mapping = config.getConfigMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class);
+        assertEquals("value", mapping.doubleMap().get("one").get("two"));
+
+        config = new SmallRyeConfigBuilder()
                 .withSources(config(
-                        "maps.one.two", "value",
                         "maps.one.two.three", "value"))
                 .withMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class)
                 .build();
+        mapping = config.getConfigMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class);
+        assertEquals("value", mapping.tripleMap().get("one").get("two").get("three"));
 
-        NestedLeadfsMaps mapping = config.getConfigMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class);
-
+        config = new SmallRyeConfigBuilder()
+                .withSources(config(
+                        "maps.one.two", "value",
+                        "maps.one.two.three", "value"))
+                .withMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class)
+                .build();
+        mapping = config.getConfigMapping(NestedLeadfsMaps.class);
         assertEquals("value", mapping.doubleMap().get("one").get("two"));
         assertEquals("value", mapping.tripleMap().get("one").get("two").get("three"));
     }