diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config.go
index 69519fdee..990c1a27a 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/config.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config.go
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ type cfgMorph struct {
 
 	blockTimers     []*timer.BlockTimer // all combined timers
 	eigenTrustTimer *timer.BlockTimer   // timer for EigenTrust iterations
+
+	proxyScriptHash neogoutil.Uint160
 }
 
 type cfgAccounting struct {
@@ -278,6 +280,9 @@ func initCfg(path string) *cfg {
 			maxChunkSize:  maxChunkSize,
 			maxAddrAmount: maxAddrAmount,
 		},
+		cfgMorph: cfgMorph{
+			proxyScriptHash: contractsconfig.Proxy(appCfg),
+		},
 		localAddr: netAddr,
 		respSvc: response.NewService(
 			response.WithNetworkState(netState),
diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config.go
index 882747342..ac0d5bbf8 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const (
 // Netmap returns value of "netmap" config parameter
 // from "contracts" section.
 //
+// Returns zero filled script hash if value is not set.
 // Throws panic if value is not a 20-byte LE hex-encoded string.
 func Netmap(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 	return contractAddress(c, "netmap")
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ func Netmap(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 // Balance returns value of "balance" config parameter
 // from "contracts" section.
 //
+// Returns zero filled script hash if value is not set.
 // Throws panic if value is not a 20-byte LE hex-encoded string.
 func Balance(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 	return contractAddress(c, "balance")
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ func Balance(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 // Container returns value of "container" config parameter
 // from "contracts" section.
 //
+// Returns zero filled script hash if value is not set.
 // Throws panic if value is not a 20-byte LE hex-encoded string.
 func Container(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 	return contractAddress(c, "container")
@@ -38,6 +41,7 @@ func Container(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 // Reputation returns value of "reputation" config parameter
 // from "contracts" section.
 //
+// Returns zero filled script hash if value is not set.
 // Throws panic if value is not a 20-byte LE hex-encoded string.
 func Reputation(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 	return contractAddress(c, "reputation")
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ func Reputation(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 // Proxy returns value of "proxy" config parameter
 // from "contracts" section.
 //
+// Returns zero filled script hash if value is not set.
 // Throws panic if value is not a 20-byte LE hex-encoded string.
 func Proxy(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 	return contractAddress(c, "proxy")
@@ -54,11 +59,7 @@ func Proxy(c *config.Config) util.Uint160 {
 func contractAddress(c *config.Config, name string) util.Uint160 {
 	v := config.String(c.Sub(subsection), name)
 	if v == "" {
-		panic(fmt.Errorf(
-			"empty %s contract address, see `contracts.%s` section",
-			name,
-			name,
-		))
+		return util.Uint160{} // if address is not set, then NNS resolver should be used
 	}
 
 	addr, err := util.Uint160DecodeStringLE(v)
diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config_test.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config_test.go
index 53184d676..673fe519d 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts/config_test.go
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@ import (
 func TestContractsSection(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("defaults", func(t *testing.T) {
 		empty := configtest.EmptyConfig()
+		emptyHash := util.Uint160{}
 
-		require.Panics(t, func() { contractsconfig.Balance(empty) })
-		require.Panics(t, func() { contractsconfig.Container(empty) })
-		require.Panics(t, func() { contractsconfig.Netmap(empty) })
-		require.Panics(t, func() { contractsconfig.Reputation(empty) })
+		require.Equal(t, emptyHash, contractsconfig.Balance(empty))
+		require.Equal(t, emptyHash, contractsconfig.Container(empty))
+		require.Equal(t, emptyHash, contractsconfig.Netmap(empty))
+		require.Equal(t, emptyHash, contractsconfig.Reputation(empty))
+		require.Equal(t, emptyHash, contractsconfig.Proxy(empty))
 	})
 
 	const path = "../../../../config/example/node"
diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/morph.go b/cmd/neofs-node/morph.go
index f9067012d..dea712a9b 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/morph.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/morph.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/block"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
-	contractsconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/contracts"
 	mainchainconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/mainchain"
 	morphconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/morph"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/core/netmap"
@@ -77,10 +76,12 @@ func initMorphComponents(c *cfg) {
 
 		c.cfgMorph.notaryEnabled = cli.ProbeNotary()
 
+		lookupScriptHashesInNNS(c) // smart contract auto negotiation
+
 		if c.cfgMorph.notaryEnabled {
 			err = c.cfgMorph.client.EnableNotarySupport(
 				client.WithProxyContract(
-					contractsconfig.Proxy(c.appCfg),
+					c.cfgMorph.proxyScriptHash,
 				),
 			)
 			fatalOnErr(err)
@@ -264,3 +265,30 @@ func registerNotificationHandlers(scHash util.Uint160, lis event.Listener, parse
 func registerBlockHandler(lis event.Listener, handler event.BlockHandler) {
 	lis.RegisterBlockHandler(handler)
 }
+
+// lookupScriptHashesInNNS looks up for contract script hashes in NNS contract of side
+// chain if they were not specified in config file.
+func lookupScriptHashesInNNS(c *cfg) {
+	var (
+		err error
+
+		emptyHash = util.Uint160{}
+		targets   = [...]struct {
+			h       *util.Uint160
+			nnsName string
+		}{
+			{&c.cfgNetmap.scriptHash, client.NNSNetmapContractName},
+			{&c.cfgAccounting.scriptHash, client.NNSBalanceContractName},
+			{&c.cfgContainer.scriptHash, client.NNSContainerContractName},
+			{&c.cfgReputation.scriptHash, client.NNSReputationContractName},
+			{&c.cfgMorph.proxyScriptHash, client.NNSProxyContractName},
+		}
+	)
+
+	for _, t := range targets {
+		if emptyHash.Equals(*t.h) {
+			*t.h, err = c.cfgMorph.client.NNSContractAddress(t.nnsName)
+			fatalOnErrDetails(fmt.Sprintf("can't resolve %s in NNS", t.nnsName), err)
+		}
+	}
+}