diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Unbound/Api/SettingsController.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Unbound/Api/SettingsController.php
index 91367e92f..1b36c80b6 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Unbound/Api/SettingsController.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Unbound/Api/SettingsController.php
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class SettingsController extends ApiMutableModelControllerBase
             $fn = preg_replace('/Dot/', 'Forward', $method);
             if (method_exists(get_class($this), $fn)) {
                 // set the type to forward if the request came from the corresponding gui page or is explicitly set in the API call
-                if (preg_match("/forward/i", $this->request->getHTTPReferer()) || $this->request->getPost('dot')['type'] == 'forward') {
+                if (preg_match("/forward/i", $this->request->getHTTPReferer()) || ($this->request->getPost('dot') && $this->request->getPost('dot')['type'] == 'forward')) {
                     $this->type = "forward";
                 }
                 return $this->$fn(...$args);