diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/src/JsonConfigurationFileParser.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/src/JsonConfigurationFileParser.cs
index 4029c922504fdf..87d54dfb4fd68d 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/src/JsonConfigurationFileParser.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/src/JsonConfigurationFileParser.cs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ private void VisitElement(JsonElement element)
                 ExitContext();
             }
 
-            if (isEmpty)
+            if (isEmpty && _currentPath != null)
             {
                 _data[_currentPath] = null;
             }
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/tests/IntegrationTest.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/tests/IntegrationTest.cs
index b206e3180033a2..778872ff131a2e 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/tests/IntegrationTest.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json/tests/IntegrationTest.cs
@@ -11,6 +11,21 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json.Test
 {
     public class IntegrationTest
     {
+        [Fact]
+        public void MinimalJson_GetChildrenFromConfiguration_NoConfigurationSection()
+        {
+            var json = @"{
+            }";
+
+            var configurationBuilder = new ConfigurationBuilder();
+            configurationBuilder.AddJsonStream(TestStreamHelpers.StringToStream(json));
+            var configuration = configurationBuilder.Build();
+
+            Assert.Collection(configuration.GetChildren(),
+                new Action<IConfigurationSection>[] {
+            });
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void LoadJsonConfiguration()
         {