diff --git a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
index 144d64254..67cf7f898 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* default value in opts structure */
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 
-	opts.config_file = SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	if (access(SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_CONFIG, F_OK) == 0) {
+		opts.config_file = SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	}
 	opts.name = "iscsi";
 
 	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "bc:de:i:m:n:p:qs:t:H")) != -1) {
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
index eb2300bed..15df90aae 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
@@ -179,16 +179,14 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts opts;
 	int rc;
 
-	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Nvmf");
-	if (sp == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("No Nvmf section in configuration file.\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts_init(&opts);
 	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf.acceptor_lcore = spdk_env_get_current_core();
 	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf.acceptor_poll_rate = ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_US;
-	spdk_nvmf_read_config_file_params(sp, &opts);
+
+	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Nvmf");
+	if (sp != NULL) {
+		spdk_nvmf_read_config_file_params(sp, &opts);
+	}
 
 	g_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(&opts);
 	if (!g_tgt) {
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
index 0ea716b3a..09418bc7b 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* default value in opts */
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	opts.name = "nvmf";
-	opts.config_file = SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	if (access(SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_CONFIG, F_OK) == 0) {
+		opts.config_file = SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	}
 	opts.max_delay_us = 1000; /* 1 ms */
 
 	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "c:de:i:m:n:p:qs:t:DH")) != -1) {
diff --git a/app/vhost/vhost.c b/app/vhost/vhost.c
index 0e591813c..9253d871f 100644
--- a/app/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/app/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ vhost_app_opts_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 {
 	spdk_app_opts_init(opts);
 	opts->name = "vhost";
-	opts->config_file = SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	if (access(SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_CONFIG, F_OK) == 0) {
+		opts->config_file = SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+	}
 	opts->mem_size = SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_MEM_SIZE;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
index 8c3013d38..1f1aadebb 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
@@ -782,13 +782,10 @@ spdk_iscsi_app_read_parameters(void)
 	/* Process parameters */
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_TRACE_ISCSI, "spdk_iscsi_app_read_parameters\n");
 	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "iSCSI");
-	if (sp == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("iSCSI config section not found.\n");
-		return -1;
+	if (sp != NULL) {
+		spdk_iscsi_read_parameters_from_config_file(sp);
 	}
 
-	spdk_iscsi_read_parameters_from_config_file(sp);
-
 	g_spdk_iscsi.session = spdk_dma_zmalloc(sizeof(void *) * g_spdk_iscsi.MaxSessions, 0, NULL);
 	if (!g_spdk_iscsi.session) {
 		perror("Unable to allocate session pointer array\n");