diff --git a/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap.go b/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap.go
index fa40be7fa..70aad0cb9 100644
--- a/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap.go
+++ b/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap.go
@@ -117,25 +117,31 @@ func ParseMap(m map[string]string) (userMappings []config.UserMapping, roleMappi
 	errs := make([]error, 0)
 	userMappings = make([]config.UserMapping, 0)
 	if userData, ok := m["mapUsers"]; ok {
-		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(userData), &userMappings)
-		if err != nil {
-			errs = append(errs, err)
+		if !isSkippable(userData) {
+			err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(userData), &userMappings)
+			if err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	roleMappings = make([]config.RoleMapping, 0)
 	if roleData, ok := m["mapRoles"]; ok {
-		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(roleData), &roleMappings)
-		if err != nil {
-			errs = append(errs, err)
+		if !isSkippable(roleData) {
+			err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(roleData), &roleMappings)
+			if err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	awsAccounts = make([]string, 0)
 	if accountsData, ok := m["mapAccounts"]; ok {
-		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(accountsData), &awsAccounts)
-		if err != nil {
-			errs = append(errs, err)
+		if !isSkippable(accountsData) {
+			err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(accountsData), &awsAccounts)
+			if err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -146,6 +152,11 @@ func ParseMap(m map[string]string) (userMappings []config.UserMapping, roleMappi
 	return userMappings, roleMappings, awsAccounts, err
 }
 
+func isSkippable(data string) bool {
+	trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(data)
+	return trimmed == "" || trimmed == "``" || trimmed == "\"\""
+}
+
 func EncodeMap(userMappings []config.UserMapping, roleMappings []config.RoleMapping, awsAccounts []string) (m map[string]string, err error) {
 	m = make(map[string]string)
 
diff --git a/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap_test.go b/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap_test.go
index 6ae3dac10..d6692d066 100644
--- a/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap_test.go
+++ b/pkg/mapper/configmap/configmap_test.go
@@ -285,3 +285,25 @@ func TestParseMap(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected %v != %v", m1, m2)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBadParseMap(t *testing.T) {
+	m1 := map[string]string{
+		"mapAccounts": ``,
+		"mapRoles":    `""`,
+		"mapUsers":    "``",
+	}
+
+	u, r, a, err := ParseMap(m1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	m2, err := EncodeMap(u, r, a)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	emptyMap := map[string]string{}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(emptyMap, m2) {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected %v != %v", emptyMap, m2)
+	}
+}