diff --git a/terraform/node_provider.go b/terraform/node_provider.go
index 9566a136b..ecf89cd5f 100644
--- a/terraform/node_provider.go
+++ b/terraform/node_provider.go
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ func (n *NodeApplyableProvider) ValidateProvider(ctx EvalContext, provider provi
 
 	configBody := buildProviderConfig(ctx, n.Addr, n.ProviderConfig())
 
+	// if provider config is empty, return early
+	emptySchema := &configschema.Block{}
+	_, _, evalDiags := ctx.EvaluateBlock(configBody, emptySchema, nil, EvalDataForNoInstanceKey)
+	if !evalDiags.HasErrors() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	resp := provider.GetSchema()
 	diags = diags.Append(resp.Diagnostics)
 	if diags.HasErrors() {
@@ -59,7 +66,7 @@ func (n *NodeApplyableProvider) ValidateProvider(ctx EvalContext, provider provi
 		// Should never happen in real code, but often comes up in tests where
 		// mock schemas are being used that tend to be incomplete.
 		log.Printf("[WARN] ValidateProvider: no config schema is available for %s, so using empty schema", n.Addr)
-		configSchema = &configschema.Block{}
+		configSchema = emptySchema
 	}
 
 	configVal, configBody, evalDiags := ctx.EvaluateBlock(configBody, configSchema, nil, EvalDataForNoInstanceKey)
diff --git a/terraform/node_provider_test.go b/terraform/node_provider_test.go
index 9ce13b9df..cba7e07cf 100644
--- a/terraform/node_provider_test.go
+++ b/terraform/node_provider_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/addrs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/configs"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/configs/configschema"
 	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
 )
 
@@ -115,3 +116,37 @@ func TestNodeApplyableProviderExecute_unknownApply(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("wrong configuration value\ngot:  %#v\nwant: %#v", got, want)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNodeApplyableProviderExecute_emptyValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	config := &configs.Provider{
+		Name:   "foo",
+		Config: configs.SynthBody("", map[string]cty.Value{}),
+	}
+	provider := mockProviderWithConfigSchema(&configschema.Block{
+		Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+			"test_string": {
+				Type:     cty.String,
+				Required: true,
+			},
+		},
+	})
+	providerAddr := addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+		Module:   addrs.RootModule,
+		Provider: addrs.NewDefaultProvider("foo"),
+	}
+
+	n := &NodeApplyableProvider{&NodeAbstractProvider{
+		Addr:   providerAddr,
+		Config: config,
+	}}
+
+	ctx := &MockEvalContext{ProviderProvider: provider}
+	ctx.installSimpleEval()
+	if err := n.Execute(ctx, walkValidate); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if ctx.ConfigureProviderCalled {
+		t.Fatal("should not be called")
+	}
+}