diff --git a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPastePasteAsFileAction.cs b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPastePasteAsFileAction.cs
index c4489eaaf7..b645c68cb5 100644
--- a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPastePasteAsFileAction.cs
+++ b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPastePasteAsFileAction.cs
@@ -34,21 +34,21 @@ public sealed class AdvancedPastePasteAsFileAction : Observable, IAdvancedPasteA
     public AdvancedPasteAdditionalAction PasteAsTxtFile
     {
         get => _pasteAsTxtFile;
-        init => Set(ref _pasteAsTxtFile, value);
+        init => Set(ref _pasteAsTxtFile, value ?? new());
     }
 
     [JsonPropertyName(PropertyNames.PasteAsPngFile)]
     public AdvancedPasteAdditionalAction PasteAsPngFile
     {
         get => _pasteAsPngFile;
-        init => Set(ref _pasteAsPngFile, value);
+        init => Set(ref _pasteAsPngFile, value ?? new());
     }
 
     [JsonPropertyName(PropertyNames.PasteAsHtmlFile)]
     public AdvancedPasteAdditionalAction PasteAsHtmlFile
     {
         get => _pasteAsHtmlFile;
-        init => Set(ref _pasteAsHtmlFile, value);
+        init => Set(ref _pasteAsHtmlFile, value ?? new());
     }
 
     [JsonIgnore]
diff --git a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteProperties.cs b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteProperties.cs
index 9e2fa7ee12..ecfa0ce636 100644
--- a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteProperties.cs
+++ b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteProperties.cs
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ namespace Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Library
 
         [JsonPropertyName("custom-actions")]
         [CmdConfigureIgnoreAttribute]
-        public AdvancedPasteCustomActions CustomActions { get; init; }
+        public AdvancedPasteCustomActions CustomActions { get; set; }
 
         [JsonPropertyName("additional-actions")]
         [CmdConfigureIgnoreAttribute]
-        public AdvancedPasteAdditionalActions AdditionalActions { get; init; }
+        public AdvancedPasteAdditionalActions AdditionalActions { get; set; }
 
         [JsonPropertyName("paste-ai-configuration")]
         [CmdConfigureIgnoreAttribute]
diff --git a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteTranscodeAction.cs b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteTranscodeAction.cs
index 82ea4d09f5..e0ed7d7421 100644
--- a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteTranscodeAction.cs
+++ b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/AdvancedPasteTranscodeAction.cs
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ public sealed class AdvancedPasteTranscodeAction : Observable, IAdvancedPasteAct
     public AdvancedPasteAdditionalAction TranscodeToMp3
     {
         get => _transcodeToMp3;
-        init => Set(ref _transcodeToMp3, value);
+        init => Set(ref _transcodeToMp3, value ?? new());
     }
 
     [JsonPropertyName(PropertyNames.TranscodeToMp4)]
     public AdvancedPasteAdditionalAction TranscodeToMp4
     {
         get => _transcodeToMp4;
-        init => Set(ref _transcodeToMp4, value);
+        init => Set(ref _transcodeToMp4, value ?? new());
     }
 
     [JsonIgnore]
diff --git a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/ViewModels/AdvancedPasteViewModel.cs b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/ViewModels/AdvancedPasteViewModel.cs
index c98242d36b..deb47719e1 100644
--- a/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/ViewModels/AdvancedPasteViewModel.cs
+++ b/src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/ViewModels/AdvancedPasteViewModel.cs
@@ -76,16 +76,24 @@ namespace Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.ViewModels
 
             GeneralSettingsConfig = settingsRepository.SettingsConfig;
 
-            // To obtain the settings configurations of Fancy zones.
-            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(settingsRepository);
+            // To obtain the settings configurations of Advanced Paste.
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(advancedPasteSettingsRepository);
 
             _dispatcherQueue = DispatcherQueue.GetForCurrentThread();
 
             _settingsUtils = settingsUtils ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(settingsUtils));
 
-            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(advancedPasteSettingsRepository);
+            _advancedPasteSettings = advancedPasteSettingsRepository.SettingsConfig ?? throw new ArgumentException("SettingsConfig cannot be null", nameof(advancedPasteSettingsRepository));
 
-            _advancedPasteSettings = advancedPasteSettingsRepository.SettingsConfig;
+            if (_advancedPasteSettings.Properties is null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("AdvancedPasteSettings.Properties cannot be null", nameof(advancedPasteSettingsRepository));
+            }
+
+            // Ensure AdditionalActions and CustomActions are initialized to prevent null reference exceptions
+            // This handles legacy settings files that may be missing these properties
+            _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.AdditionalActions ??= new AdvancedPasteAdditionalActions();
+            _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.CustomActions ??= new AdvancedPasteCustomActions();
 
             AttachConfigurationHandlers();
 
@@ -93,7 +101,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.ViewModels
             SendConfigMSG = ipcMSGCallBackFunc;
 
             _additionalActions = _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.AdditionalActions;
-            _customActions = _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.CustomActions.Value;
+            _customActions = _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.CustomActions.Value ?? new ObservableCollection<AdvancedPasteCustomAction>();
 
             SetupSettingsFileWatcher();
 
@@ -469,7 +477,13 @@ namespace Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.ViewModels
 
         public PasteAIConfiguration PasteAIConfiguration
         {
-            get => _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.PasteAIConfiguration;
+            get
+            {
+                // Ensure PasteAIConfiguration is never null for XAML binding
+                _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.PasteAIConfiguration ??= new PasteAIConfiguration();
+                return _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.PasteAIConfiguration;
+            }
+
             set
             {
                 if (!ReferenceEquals(value, _advancedPasteSettings.Properties.PasteAIConfiguration))