diff --git a/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/main/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.java b/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/main/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.java
index a79ac4da7..908bd67e0 100644
--- a/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/main/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.java
+++ b/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/main/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.java
@@ -118,17 +118,27 @@ HateoasHalProvider hateoasHalProvider(ObjectMapperProvider objectMapperProvider)
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Collection model content converter collection model content converter.
-	 *
-	 * @param halProvider          the hal provider
-	 * @param linkRelationProvider the link relation provider
-	 * @return the collection model content converter
+	 * Creates CollectionModelContentConverter only when a LinkRelationProvider bean exists.
 	 */
-	@Bean
-	@ConditionalOnMissingBean
-	@Lazy(false)
-	CollectionModelContentConverter collectionModelContentConverter(HateoasHalProvider halProvider, LinkRelationProvider linkRelationProvider) {
-		return halProvider.isHalEnabled() ? new CollectionModelContentConverter(linkRelationProvider) : null;
+	@Configuration(proxyBeanMethods = false)
+	@ConditionalOnBean(LinkRelationProvider.class)
+	static class CollectionModelContentConverterConfiguration {
+
+		/**
+		 * Collection model content converter collection model content converter.
+		 *
+		 * @param halProvider          the hal provider
+		 * @param linkRelationProvider the link relation provider
+		 * @return the collection model content converter
+		 */
+		@Bean
+		@ConditionalOnMissingBean
+		@Lazy(false)
+		CollectionModelContentConverter collectionModelContentConverter(
+				HateoasHalProvider halProvider,
+				LinkRelationProvider linkRelationProvider) {
+			return halProvider.isHalEnabled() ? new CollectionModelContentConverter(linkRelationProvider) : null;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/test/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfigurationTest.java b/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/test/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfigurationTest.java
index 7db8bb8e7..182d8c83f 100644
--- a/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/test/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/springdoc-openapi-starter-common/src/test/java/org/springdoc/core/configuration/SpringDocHateoasConfigurationTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import org.springframework.boot.test.context.runner.WebApplicationContextRunner;
 import org.springframework.boot.webmvc.autoconfigure.WebMvcAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.config.HateoasConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.hateoas.server.LinkRelationProvider;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ void linksSchemaCustomizerShouldNotBeRegisteredIfBeanWithSameNameAlreadyExists()
 	@Test
 	void halBeansShouldBeRegisteredWhenHateoasPropertiesIsPresent() {
 		hateoasContextRunner()
+				.withBean(LinkRelationProvider.class, () -> mock(LinkRelationProvider.class))  // ← add this
 				.run(context -> {
 					assertThat(context).hasNotFailed();
 					assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(HateoasHalProvider.class);
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ void halBeansShouldBeRegisteredWhenHateoasPropertiesIsPresent() {
 	void halBeansShouldBeRegisteredWhenHateoasPropertiesIsAbsent() {
 		hateoasContextRunner()
 				.withClassLoader(new FilteredClassLoader(HateoasProperties.class))
+				.withBean(LinkRelationProvider.class, () -> mock(LinkRelationProvider.class))  // ← add this
 				.run(context -> {
 					assertThat(context).hasNotFailed();
 					assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(HateoasHalProvider.class);
@@ -134,4 +137,29 @@ private WebApplicationContextRunner hateoasContextRunner() {
 						SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.class
 				));
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * LinkRelationProvider class may be on the classpath while no bean of that type
+	 * is present. The application context must still start and
+	 * CollectionModelContentConverter must not be created.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	void collectionModelContentConverterShouldNotBeCreatedWhenLinkRelationProviderBeanIsAbsent() {
+		new WebApplicationContextRunner()
+				.withPropertyValues(
+						"springdoc.api-docs.enabled=true",
+						"springdoc.enable-hateoas=true"
+				)
+				.withConfiguration(AutoConfigurations.of(
+						WebMvcAutoConfiguration.class,
+						// deliberately omit HateoasConfiguration → no LinkRelationProvider bean
+						SpringDocConfiguration.class,
+						SpringDocConfigProperties.class,
+						SpringDocHateoasConfiguration.class
+				))
+				.run(context -> {
+					assertThat(context).hasNotFailed();
+					assertThat(context).doesNotHaveBean(CollectionModelContentConverter.class);
+				});
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file