diff --git a/app/vmalert/config/config.go b/app/vmalert/config/config.go
index 33864f64b..6c38d9e67 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/config/config.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/config/config.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/app/vmalert/notifier"
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/envtemplate"
+	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/metricsql"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ func Parse(pathPatterns []string, validateAnnotations, validateExpressions bool)
 		}
 	}
 	if len(groups) < 1 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no groups found in %s", strings.Join(pathPatterns, ";"))
+		logger.Warnf("no groups found in %s", strings.Join(pathPatterns, ";"))
 	}
 	return groups, nil
 }
diff --git a/app/vmalert/config/config_test.go b/app/vmalert/config/config_test.go
index 9e653480b..d46b4ba23 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/config/config_test.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/config/config_test.go
@@ -51,10 +51,6 @@ func TestParseBad(t *testing.T) {
 			[]string{"testdata/dir/rules4-bad.rules"},
 			"either `record` or `alert` must be set",
 		},
-		{
-			[]string{"testdata/*.yaml"},
-			"no groups found",
-		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		_, err := Parse(tc.path, true, true)
diff --git a/app/vmalert/manager_test.go b/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
index bc6f30856..a3cd3d31f 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -19,16 +18,15 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
 
-func TestManagerUpdateError(t *testing.T) {
+// TestManagerEmptyRulesDir tests
+// successful cases of
+// starting with empty rules folder
+func TestManagerEmptyRulesDir(t *testing.T) {
 	m := &manager{groups: make(map[uint64]*Group)}
 	path := []string{"foo/bar"}
 	err := m.update(context.Background(), path, true, true, false)
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("expected to have err; got nil instead")
-	}
-	expErr := "no groups found"
-	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expErr) {
-		t.Fatalf("expected to got err %s; got %s", expErr, err)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to load succesfully with empty rules dir; got err instead: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -180,6 +178,27 @@ func TestManagerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 					}},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:       "update empty dir rules from 0 to 2 groups",
+			initPath:   "config/testdata/empty/*",
+			updatePath: "config/testdata/rules0-good.rules",
+			want: []*Group{
+				{
+					File:     "config/testdata/rules0-good.rules",
+					Name:     "groupGorSingleAlert",
+					Interval: defaultEvalInterval,
+					Rules:    []Rule{VMRows},
+				},
+				{
+					File:     "config/testdata/rules0-good.rules",
+					Interval: defaultEvalInterval,
+					Name:     "TestGroup", Rules: []Rule{
+						Conns,
+						ExampleAlertAlwaysFiring,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {