diff --git a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Configuration/FrontendConfigurationManager.php b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Configuration/FrontendConfigurationManager.php
index 3fc64828ed4063d1e148e7b50637a77febc3bace..07cefac52ecebc500d332835dbb11a3821439217 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Configuration/FrontendConfigurationManager.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Configuration/FrontendConfigurationManager.php
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ class FrontendConfigurationManager extends AbstractConfigurationManager
         $pages = $this->contentObject->data['pages'] ?? '';
         if (is_string($pages) && $pages !== '') {
             $list = [];
-            if ($this->contentObject->data['recursive'] > 0) {
+            if ((int)($this->contentObject->data['recursive'] ?? 0) > 0) {
                 $explodedPages = GeneralUtility::trimExplode(',', $pages);
                 foreach ($explodedPages as $pid) {
                     $pids = $this->contentObject->getTreeList($pid, $this->contentObject->data['recursive']);