diff --git a/salt/elasticsearch/template.map.jinja b/salt/elasticsearch/template.map.jinja
index 4a90a4f54..b59c291a4 100644
--- a/salt/elasticsearch/template.map.jinja
+++ b/salt/elasticsearch/template.map.jinja
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@
 {% set DEFAULT_GLOBAL_OVERRIDES = ELASTICSEARCHDEFAULTS.elasticsearch.index_settings.pop('global_overrides') %}
 
 {% set PILLAR_GLOBAL_OVERRIDES = {} %}
-{% if salt['pillar.get']('elasticsearch:index_settings') is defined %}
-{%   set ES_INDEX_PILLAR = salt['pillar.get']('elasticsearch:index_settings') %}
-{%   if ES_INDEX_PILLAR.global_overrides is defined %}
-{%     set PILLAR_GLOBAL_OVERRIDES = ES_INDEX_PILLAR.pop('global_overrides') %}
-{%   endif %}
+{% set ES_INDEX_PILLAR = salt['pillar.get']('elasticsearch:index_settings', {}) %}
+{% if ES_INDEX_PILLAR.global_overrides is defined %}
+{%   set PILLAR_GLOBAL_OVERRIDES = ES_INDEX_PILLAR.pop('global_overrides') %}
 {% endif %}
 
 {% set ES_INDEX_SETTINGS_ORIG = ELASTICSEARCHDEFAULTS.elasticsearch.index_settings %}