diff --git a/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl.go b/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl.go
index 1b236cb1812..2bb48ca28f2 100644
--- a/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl.go
+++ b/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl.go
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ func (tacl *tableACL) init(configFile string, aclCB func()) error {
 		log.Infof("unable to read tableACL config file: %v  Error: %v", configFile, err)
 		return err
 	}
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("tableACL config file is empty")
+	}
+
 	config := &tableaclpb.Config{}
 	if err := config.UnmarshalVT(data); err != nil {
 		// try to parse tableacl as json file
diff --git a/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl_test.go b/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl_test.go
index 388567b62e2..1f5e89a6a48 100644
--- a/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/tableacl/tableacl_test.go
@@ -74,6 +74,21 @@ func TestInitWithValidConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInitWithEmptyConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	tacl := tableACL{factory: &simpleacl.Factory{}}
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp("", "tableacl")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(f.Name())
+	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := tacl.init(f.Name(), func() {}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("tableACL config file is empty")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestInitFromProto(t *testing.T) {
 	tacl := tableACL{factory: &simpleacl.Factory{}}
 	readerACL := tacl.Authorized("my_test_table", READER)
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletserver.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletserver.go
index 847de25eb02..8fb167efc80 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletserver.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletserver.go
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ func (tsv *TabletServer) initACL(tableACLConfigFile string, enforceTableACLConfi
 			tsv.ClearQueryPlanCache()
 		},
 	)
+	// Log failure if either there was a problem loading the ACL, or if the ACL is empty
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Fail to initialize Table ACL: %v", err)
 		if enforceTableACLConfig {