diff --git a/airflow/configuration.py b/airflow/configuration.py
index 5dd13fd3dfedb..458d6e59d67ea 100644
--- a/airflow/configuration.py
+++ b/airflow/configuration.py
@@ -873,9 +873,6 @@ def initialize_config():
 
         log.info('Creating new FAB webserver config file in: %s', WEBSERVER_CONFIG)
         shutil.copy(_default_config_file_path('default_webserver_config.py'), WEBSERVER_CONFIG)
-
-    conf.validate()
-
     return conf
 
 
@@ -1114,6 +1111,7 @@ def __getattr__(name):
 
 conf = initialize_config()
 secrets_backend_list = initialize_secrets_backends()
+conf.validate()
 
 
 PY37 = sys.version_info >= (3, 7)
diff --git a/tests/www/views/test_views.py b/tests/www/views/test_views.py
index 98623da735f7a..bac6feca9016d 100644
--- a/tests/www/views/test_views.py
+++ b/tests/www/views/test_views.py
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ def test_configuration_do_not_expose_config(admin_client):
 @mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {"AIRFLOW__CORE__UNIT_TEST_MODE": "False"})
 def test_configuration_expose_config(admin_client):
     # make sure config is initialized (without unit test mote)
-    initialize_config()
+    conf = initialize_config()
+    conf.validate()
     with conf_vars({('webserver', 'expose_config'): 'True'}):
         resp = admin_client.get('configuration', follow_redirects=True)
     check_content_in_response(['Airflow Configuration', 'Running Configuration'], resp)