diff --git a/lib/promscrape/config.go b/lib/promscrape/config.go
index 5d85e489c7..9506beadf6 100644
--- a/lib/promscrape/config.go
+++ b/lib/promscrape/config.go
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@ func mustInitClusterMemberID() {
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Fatalf("cannot parse -promscrape.cluster.memberNum=%q: %s", *clusterMemberNum, err)
 	}
-	if n < 0 || (*clusterMembersCount != 0 && n >= *clusterMembersCount) {
+	if *clusterMembersCount < 1 {
+		logger.Fatalf("-promscrape.cluster.membersCount can't be lower than 1: got %d", *clusterMembersCount)
+	}
+	if n < 0 || n >= *clusterMembersCount {
 		logger.Fatalf("-promscrape.cluster.memberNum must be in the range [0..%d] according to -promscrape.cluster.membersCount=%d",
 			*clusterMembersCount, *clusterMembersCount)
 	}
diff --git a/lib/promscrape/config_test.go b/lib/promscrape/config_test.go
index 7fe042b5f8..6548c48491 100644
--- a/lib/promscrape/config_test.go
+++ b/lib/promscrape/config_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func TestNeedSkipScrapeWork(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// Disabled clustering
 	f("foo", 0, 0, 0, false)
+	f("foo", 0, 0, 1, false)
 
 	// A cluster with 2 nodes with disabled replication
 	f("foo", 2, 0, 0, true)