diff --git a/.changeset/long-wasps-wait.md b/.changeset/long-wasps-wait.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f027fb97ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/long-wasps-wait.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/config-loader': patch
+---
+
+Make schema processing gracefully handle an empty config.
diff --git a/packages/config-loader/src/schema/compile.ts b/packages/config-loader/src/schema/compile.ts
index fd39b0def9..be47b6c906 100644
--- a/packages/config-loader/src/schema/compile.ts
+++ b/packages/config-loader/src/schema/compile.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ export function compileConfigSchemas(
   });
 
   return configs => {
-    const config = ConfigReader.fromConfigs(configs).get();
+    const config = ConfigReader.fromConfigs(configs).getOptional();
 
     visibilityByDataPath.clear();
     deepVisibilityByDataPath.clear();