diff --git a/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidation.java b/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidation.java
index b2e873ea5546..4bddcdd72d7e 100644
--- a/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidation.java
+++ b/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidation.java
@@ -181,16 +181,17 @@ public static void validateTableSchema(TableSchema schema) {
             }
         }
 
-        if (schema.options().containsKey(CoreOptions.RECORD_LEVEL_TIME_FIELD.key())) {
-            String fieldName = options.recordLevelTimeField();
+        String recordLevelTimeField = options.recordLevelTimeField();
+        if (recordLevelTimeField != null) {
             Optional<DataField> field =
                     schema.fields().stream()
-                            .filter(dataField -> dataField.name().equals(fieldName))
+                            .filter(dataField -> dataField.name().equals(recordLevelTimeField))
                             .findFirst();
             if (!field.isPresent()) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         String.format(
-                                "Can not find time field %s for record level expire.", fieldName));
+                                "Can not find time field %s for record level expire.",
+                                recordLevelTimeField));
             }
             DataType dataType = field.get().type();
             if (!(dataType instanceof IntType
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ public static void validateTableSchema(TableSchema schema) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         String.format(
                                 "Time field %s for record-level expire should be not null.",
-                                fieldName));
+                                recordLevelTimeField));
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidationTest.java b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidationTest.java
index 90c907c05da1..9dbfff200e7b 100644
--- a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidationTest.java
+++ b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/schema/SchemaValidationTest.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public void testFromSnapshotConflict() {
 
     @Test
     public void testRecordLevelTimeField() {
-        Map<String, String> options = new HashMap<>();
+        Map<String, String> options = new HashMap<>(2);
         options.put(CoreOptions.RECORD_LEVEL_TIME_FIELD.key(), "f0");
         options.put(CoreOptions.RECORD_LEVEL_EXPIRE_TIME.key(), "1 m");
         assertThatThrownBy(() -> validateTableSchemaExec(options))
diff --git a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/table/RecordLevelExpireTest.java b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/table/RecordLevelExpireTest.java
index b8788883ab56..08c8ac548003 100644
--- a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/table/RecordLevelExpireTest.java
+++ b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/table/RecordLevelExpireTest.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 class RecordLevelExpireTest extends PrimaryKeyTableTestBase {
+
     @Override
     @BeforeEach
     public void beforeEachBase() throws Exception {