diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index bd275d7..3adcff8 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ func ParseRawProxyBackendHostURLMap(raw string) (map[string]url.URL, error) {
 // returning the mapping and error (if any)
 func ParseRawShardRoutingBackendHostURLMap(raw string) (map[string]IntervalURLMap, error) {
 	parsed := make(map[string]IntervalURLMap)
+	// allow empty shard map (enabled but unused)
+	if raw == "" {
+		return parsed, nil
+	}
 	hostConfigs := strings.Split(raw, ",")
 	for _, hc := range hostConfigs {
 		pieces := strings.Split(hc, ">")
diff --git a/config/validate_test.go b/config/validate_test.go
index ee60bbc..38d9df5 100644
--- a/config/validate_test.go
+++ b/config/validate_test.go
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ func TestUnitTestValidateConfigReturnsErrorIfInvaidShardRoutingBackendURLMap(t *
 	err := config.Validate(testConfig)
 
 	assert.NotNil(t, err)
+
+	// allow empty
+	testConfig.ProxyShardBackendHostURLMapRaw = ""
+	err = config.Validate(testConfig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
 func TestUnitTestValidateConfigReturnsErrorIfInvalidProxyServicePort(t *testing.T) {