diff --git a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/src/ManagedMonitorToolBase.cxx b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/src/ManagedMonitorToolBase.cxx
index 10e3b70046ea790a924a114f6908f417c1c669a7..5fba3f9c633c1ea639a7ab56c71bd706fcb19dc6 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/src/ManagedMonitorToolBase.cxx
+++ b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/src/ManagedMonitorToolBase.cxx
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ initialize()
      if (joSvc->has(name))
        var = joSvc->get(name);
      else
-       ATH_MSG_ERROR("Cannot read " << name);
+       ATH_MSG_DEBUG("Cannot read " << name);  // on purpose not an ERROR (will be set by setMonManager)
    };
    getProp( m_fileKey, client + ".FileKey");
    getProp( m_dataTypeStr, client + ".DataType");