diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/10371-samay43 b/changelogs/unreleased/10371-samay43
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d1ab7571e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/10371-samay43
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+prevent panic when the restore hook init container command annotation is empty
diff --git a/internal/hook/item_hook_handler.go b/internal/hook/item_hook_handler.go
index bed48c5ea..dc4a37bfa 100644
--- a/internal/hook/item_hook_handler.go
+++ b/internal/hook/item_hook_handler.go
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ func getPodExecHookFromAnnotations(annotations map[string]string, phase HookPhas
 
 func parseStringToCommand(commandValue string) []string {
 	var command []string
+	// An empty command means the container image's own entrypoint should be used.
+	// Callers that require a command already return early; getInitContainerFromAnnotation
+	// deliberately allows this case, so return nil rather than indexing an empty string.
+	if commandValue == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
 	// check for json array
 	if commandValue[0] == '[' {
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(commandValue), &command); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/hook/item_hook_handler_test.go b/internal/hook/item_hook_handler_test.go
index 1f2df9469..792bcd66e 100644
--- a/internal/hook/item_hook_handler_test.go
+++ b/internal/hook/item_hook_handler_test.go
@@ -1287,6 +1287,25 @@ func TestGetInitContainerFromAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 				podRestoreHookInitContainerCommandAnnotationKey: "[foobarbaz",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:      "should use the image's default entrypoint when the command annotation is empty",
+			expectNil: false,
+			expected:  builder.ForContainer("restore-init1", "busy-box").Result(),
+			inputAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				podRestoreHookInitContainerImageAnnotationKey:   "busy-box",
+				podRestoreHookInitContainerNameAnnotationKey:    "restore-init",
+				podRestoreHookInitContainerCommandAnnotationKey: "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "should use the image's default entrypoint when the command annotation is missing",
+			expectNil: false,
+			expected:  builder.ForContainer("restore-init1", "busy-box").Result(),
+			inputAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				podRestoreHookInitContainerImageAnnotationKey: "busy-box",
+				podRestoreHookInitContainerNameAnnotationKey:  "restore-init",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {