diff --git a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/Dockerfile.j2 b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/Dockerfile.j2
index b878266f1..90bb1d574 100644
--- a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/Dockerfile.j2
+++ b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/Dockerfile.j2
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ RUN apt-get clean -y      && \
     apt-get autoremove -y && \
     rm -rf /debs
 
-COPY ["start.sh", "telemetry.sh", "dialout.sh", "telemetry_vars.j2", "/usr/bin/"]
+COPY ["start.sh", "telemetry.sh", "dialout.sh", "/usr/bin/"]
+COPY ["telemetry_vars.j2", "/usr/share/sonic/templates/"]
 COPY ["supervisord.conf", "/etc/supervisor/conf.d/"]
 COPY ["files/supervisor-proc-exit-listener", "/usr/bin"]
 COPY ["critical_processes", "/etc/supervisor"]
diff --git a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry.sh b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry.sh
index 18356e094..0fd80fcbf 100755
--- a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry.sh
+++ b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+EXIT_TELEMETRY_VARS_FILE_NOT_FOUND=1
+TELEMETRY_VARS_FILE=/usr/share/sonic/templates/telemetry_vars.j2
+
+if [ ! -f "$TELEMETRY_VARS_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "Telemetry vars template file not found"
+    exit $EXIT_TELEMETRY_VARS_FILE_NOT_FOUND
+fi
+
 # Try to read telemetry and certs config from ConfigDB.
 # Use default value if no valid config exists
-TELEMETRY_VARS=$(sonic-cfggen -d -t telemetry_vars.j2)
+TELEMETRY_VARS=$(sonic-cfggen -d -t $TELEMETRY_VARS_FILE)
 TELEMETRY_VARS=${TELEMETRY_VARS//[\']/\"}
 X509=$(echo $TELEMETRY_VARS | jq -r '.x509')
 GNMI=$(echo $TELEMETRY_VARS | jq -r '.gnmi')
diff --git a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry_vars.j2 b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry_vars.j2
index 687781e1b..d1d2d8977 100644
--- a/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry_vars.j2
+++ b/dockers/docker-sonic-telemetry/telemetry_vars.j2
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-    "certs": "{% if "certs" in TELEMETRY.keys() %}{{ TELEMETRY["certs"] }}{% endif %}",
-    "gnmi" : "{% if "gnmi" in TELEMETRY.keys() %}{{ TELEMETRY["gnmi"] }}{% endif %}",
-    "x509" : "{% if "x509" in DEVICE_METADATA.keys() %}{{ DEVICE_METADATA["x509"] }}{% endif %}"
+    "certs": {% if "certs" in TELEMETRY.keys() %}{{ TELEMETRY["certs"] }}{% else %}""{% endif %},
+    "gnmi" : {% if "gnmi" in TELEMETRY.keys() %}{{ TELEMETRY["gnmi"] }}{% else %}""{% endif %},
+    "x509" : {% if "x509" in DEVICE_METADATA.keys() %}{{ DEVICE_METADATA["x509"] }}{% else %}""{% endif %}
 }