diff --git a/command/init.go b/command/init.go
index 8053d4b12..fd7abcd40 100644
--- a/command/init.go
+++ b/command/init.go
@@ -856,16 +856,31 @@ func (c *InitCommand) backendConfigOverrideBody(flags rawFlags, schema *configsc
 			// The value is interpreted as a filename.
 			newBody, fileDiags := c.loadHCLFile(item.Value)
 			diags = diags.Append(fileDiags)
-			// Verify that the file contains only key-values pairs, and not a
-			// full backend config block. JustAttributes() will return an error
-			// if blocks are found
-			_, attrDiags := newBody.JustAttributes()
-			if attrDiags.HasErrors() {
-				diags = diags.Append(tfdiags.Sourceless(
-					tfdiags.Error,
-					"Invalid backend configuration file",
-					fmt.Sprintf("The backend configuration file %q given on the command line must contain key-value pairs only, and not configuration blocks.", item.Value),
-				))
+			if fileDiags.HasErrors() {
+				continue
+			}
+			// Generate an HCL body schema for the backend block.
+			var bodySchema hcl.BodySchema
+			for name, attr := range schema.Attributes {
+				bodySchema.Attributes = append(bodySchema.Attributes, hcl.AttributeSchema{
+					Name:     name,
+					Required: attr.Required,
+				})
+			}
+			for name, block := range schema.BlockTypes {
+				var labelNames []string
+				if block.Nesting == configschema.NestingMap {
+					labelNames = append(labelNames, "key")
+				}
+				bodySchema.Blocks = append(bodySchema.Blocks, hcl.BlockHeaderSchema{
+					Type:       name,
+					LabelNames: labelNames,
+				})
+			}
+			// Verify that the file body matches the expected backend schema.
+			_, schemaDiags := newBody.Content(&bodySchema)
+			diags = diags.Append(schemaDiags)
+			if schemaDiags.HasErrors() {
 				continue
 			}
 			flushVals() // deal with any accumulated individual values first
diff --git a/command/init_test.go b/command/init_test.go
index 9d79ec194..afdf82f09 100644
--- a/command/init_test.go
+++ b/command/init_test.go
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ func TestInit_backendConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
-	// the backend config file must be a set of key-value pairs and not a full backend {} block
-	t.Run("invalid-config-file", func(t *testing.T) {
+	// the backend config file must not be a full terraform block
+	t.Run("full-backend-config-file", func(t *testing.T) {
 		ui := new(cli.MockUi)
 		c := &InitCommand{
 			Meta: Meta{
@@ -368,10 +368,67 @@ func TestInit_backendConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 		if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
 			t.Fatalf("expected error, got success\n")
 		}
-		if !strings.Contains(ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "Invalid backend configuration file") {
+		if !strings.Contains(ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "Unsupported block type") {
 			t.Fatalf("wrong error: %s", ui.ErrorWriter)
 		}
 	})
+
+	// the backend config file must match the schema for the backend
+	t.Run("invalid-config-file", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+		c := &InitCommand{
+			Meta: Meta{
+				testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(testProvider()),
+				Ui:               ui,
+			},
+		}
+		args := []string{"-backend-config", "invalid.config"}
+		if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected error, got success\n")
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "Unsupported argument") {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong error: %s", ui.ErrorWriter)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// missing file is an error
+	t.Run("missing-config-file", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+		c := &InitCommand{
+			Meta: Meta{
+				testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(testProvider()),
+				Ui:               ui,
+			},
+		}
+		args := []string{"-backend-config", "missing.config"}
+		if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected error, got success\n")
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "Failed to read file") {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong error: %s", ui.ErrorWriter)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// blank filename clears the backend config
+	t.Run("blank-config-file", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+		c := &InitCommand{
+			Meta: Meta{
+				testingOverrides: metaOverridesForProvider(testProvider()),
+				Ui:               ui,
+			},
+		}
+		args := []string{"-backend-config="}
+		if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("bad: \n%s", ui.ErrorWriter.String())
+		}
+
+		// Read our saved backend config and verify the backend config is empty
+		state := testDataStateRead(t, filepath.Join(DefaultDataDir, DefaultStateFilename))
+		if got, want := normalizeJSON(t, state.Backend.ConfigRaw), `{"path":null,"workspace_dir":null}`; got != want {
+			t.Errorf("wrong config\ngot:  %s\nwant: %s", got, want)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestInit_backendConfigFilePowershellConfusion(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/backend.config b/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/backend.config
index db3d3159b..c3d7524bc 100644
--- a/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/backend.config
+++ b/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/backend.config
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // the -backend-config flag on init cannot be used to point to a "full" backend
-// block, only key-value pairs (like terraform.tfvars) 
+// block
 terraform {
     backend "local" {
         path = "hello"
diff --git a/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/invalid.config b/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/invalid.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39f97f5bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/testdata/init-backend-config-file/invalid.config
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+path = "hello"
+foo  = "bar"