diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.cpp b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.cpp
index eee160080c..f249ca811a 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.cpp
@@ -37,9 +37,13 @@ namespace AZ
                 InitializeShaderOption();
                 m_shaderOptionInitialized = true;
             }
-
             m_shadowmapType = type;
-            const uint32_t typeIndex = aznumeric_cast<uint32_t>(type);
+            SetShaderVariantKeyFallbackValue();
+        }
+
+        void DepthExponentiationPass::SetShaderVariantKeyFallbackValue()
+        {
+            const uint32_t typeIndex = aznumeric_cast<uint32_t>(m_shadowmapType);
             RPI::ShaderOptionGroup shaderOption = m_shader->CreateShaderOptionGroup();
             shaderOption.SetValue(m_optionName, m_optionValues[typeIndex]);
 
@@ -54,6 +58,11 @@ namespace AZ
             return m_shadowmapType;
         }
 
+        void DepthExponentiationPass::BuildInternal()
+        {
+            InitializeShaderOption();
+        }
+
         void DepthExponentiationPass::FrameBeginInternal(FramePrepareParams params)
         {
             if (!m_shaderOptionInitialized)
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.h b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.h
index ef33b89d56..6ad9a21bef 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.h
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/CoreLights/DepthExponentiationPass.h
@@ -45,13 +45,16 @@ namespace AZ
             explicit DepthExponentiationPass(const RPI::PassDescriptor& descriptor);
 
             // RPI::Pass overrides...
+            void BuildInternal() override;
             void FrameBeginInternal(FramePrepareParams params) override;
 
             // Scope producer functions...
             void CompileResources(const RHI::FrameGraphCompileContext& context) override;
             void BuildCommandListInternal(const RHI::FrameGraphExecuteContext& context) override;
 
+
             void InitializeShaderOption();
+            void SetShaderVariantKeyFallbackValue();
 
             const Name m_optionName;
             const AZStd::vector<Name> m_optionValues;
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.h b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.h
index 5d7aa5d6d3..7790f577d6 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.h
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.h
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ namespace AZ
 
             // --- Utility functions ---
             
-            //! Queues the pass to have Build() and Initilize() called by the PassSystem on frame update 
+            //! Queues the pass to have Build() and Initialize() called by the PassSystem on frame update 
             void QueueForBuildAndInitialization();
 
             //! Queues the pass to have RemoveFromParent() called by the PassSystem on frame update