diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index a44cdf807e0..6cbeea3ccdb 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@
 #include <zmq/zmqrpc.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_EMBEDDED_ASMAP
+#include <node/data/ip_asn.dat.h>
+#endif
+
 using common::AmountErrMsg;
 using common::InvalidPortErrMsg;
 using common::ResolveErrMsg;
@@ -1560,29 +1564,50 @@ bool AppInitMain(NodeContext& node, interfaces::BlockAndHeaderTipInfo* tip_info)
     ApplyArgsManOptions(args, peerman_opts);
 
     {
-        // Read asmap file if configured and initialize
+        // Read asmap file if configured or embedded asmap data and initialize
         // Netgroupman with or without it
         assert(!node.netgroupman);
         if (args.IsArgSet("-asmap") && !args.IsArgNegated("-asmap")) {
-            fs::path asmap_path = args.GetPathArg("-asmap");
-            if (asmap_path.empty()) {
-                InitError(_("-asmap requires a file path. Use -asmap=<file>."));
-                return false;
+            uint256 asmap_version{};
+            if (!args.GetBoolArg("-asmap", false)) {
+                fs::path asmap_path = args.GetPathArg("-asmap");
+                if (!asmap_path.is_absolute()) {
+                    asmap_path = args.GetDataDirNet() / asmap_path;
+                }
+
+                // If a specific path was passed with the asmap argument check if
+                // the file actually exists in that location
+                if (!fs::exists(asmap_path)) {
+                    InitError(strprintf(_("Could not find asmap file %s"), fs::quoted(fs::PathToString(asmap_path))));
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                // If a file exists at the path, try to read the file
+                std::vector<std::byte> asmap{DecodeAsmap(asmap_path)};
+                if (asmap.empty()) {
+                    InitError(strprintf(_("Could not parse asmap file %s"), fs::quoted(fs::PathToString(asmap_path))));
+                    return false;
+                }
+                asmap_version = AsmapVersion(asmap);
+                node.netgroupman = std::make_unique<NetGroupManager>(NetGroupManager::WithLoadedAsmap(std::move(asmap)));
+            } else {
+                #ifdef ENABLE_EMBEDDED_ASMAP
+                    // Use the embedded asmap data
+                    std::span<const std::byte> asmap{node::data::ip_asn};
+                    if (asmap.empty() || !CheckStandardAsmap(asmap)) {
+                        InitError(strprintf(_("Could not read embedded asmap data")));
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                    node.netgroupman = std::make_unique<NetGroupManager>(NetGroupManager::WithEmbeddedAsmap(asmap));
+                    asmap_version = AsmapVersion(asmap);
+                    LogInfo("Opened asmap data (%zu bytes) from embedded byte array\n", asmap.size());
+                #else
+                    // If there is no embedded data, fail and report it since
+                    // the user tried to use it
+                    InitError(strprintf(_("Embedded asmap data not available")));
+                    return false;
+                #endif
             }
-            if (!asmap_path.is_absolute()) {
-                asmap_path = args.GetDataDirNet() / asmap_path;
-            }
-            if (!fs::exists(asmap_path)) {
-                InitError(strprintf(_("Could not find asmap file %s"), fs::quoted(fs::PathToString(asmap_path))));
-                return false;
-            }
-            std::vector<std::byte> asmap{DecodeAsmap(asmap_path)};
-            if (asmap.size() == 0) {
-                InitError(strprintf(_("Could not parse asmap file %s"), fs::quoted(fs::PathToString(asmap_path))));
-                return false;
-            }
-            const uint256 asmap_version = AsmapVersion(asmap);
-            node.netgroupman = std::make_unique<NetGroupManager>(NetGroupManager::WithLoadedAsmap(std::move(asmap)));
             LogInfo("Using asmap version %s for IP bucketing", asmap_version.ToString());
         } else {
             node.netgroupman = std::make_unique<NetGroupManager>(NetGroupManager::NoAsmap());
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_asmap.py b/test/functional/feature_asmap.py
index 8ad59c82ccf..310788f2cbf 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_asmap.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_asmap.py
@@ -66,12 +66,19 @@ class AsmapTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
             self.start_node(0, [f'-asmap={name}'])
         os.remove(filename)
 
-    def test_unspecified_asmap(self):
-        msg = "Error: -asmap requires a file path. Use -asmap=<file>."
-        for arg in ['-asmap', '-asmap=']:
-            self.log.info(f'Test bitcoind {arg} (and no filename specified)')
-            self.stop_node(0)
-            self.node.assert_start_raises_init_error(extra_args=[arg], expected_msg=msg)
+    def test_embedded_asmap(self):
+        if self.is_embedded_asmap_compiled():
+            self.log.info('Test bitcoind -asmap (using embedded map data)')
+            for arg in ['-asmap', '-asmap=1']:
+                self.stop_node(0)
+                with self.node.assert_debug_log(["Opened asmap data", "from embedded byte array"]):
+                    self.start_node(0, [arg])
+        else:
+            self.log.info('Test bitcoind -asmap (compiled without embedded map data)')
+            for arg in ['-asmap', '-asmap=1']:
+                self.stop_node(0)
+                msg = "Error: Embedded asmap data not available"
+                self.node.assert_start_raises_init_error(extra_args=[arg], expected_msg=msg)
 
     def test_asmap_interaction_with_addrman_containing_entries(self):
         self.log.info("Test bitcoind -asmap restart with addrman containing new and tried entries")
@@ -127,7 +134,7 @@ class AsmapTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         self.test_noasmap_arg()
         self.test_asmap_with_absolute_path()
         self.test_asmap_with_relative_path()
-        self.test_unspecified_asmap()
+        self.test_embedded_asmap()
         self.test_asmap_interaction_with_addrman_containing_entries()
         self.test_asmap_with_missing_file()
         self.test_empty_asmap()