diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Config/Model/Config/Backend/Encrypted.php b/app/code/Magento/Config/Model/Config/Backend/Encrypted.php
index 9f4f57e5433b7..a7058afe57e44 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Config/Model/Config/Backend/Encrypted.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Config/Model/Config/Backend/Encrypted.php
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ public function beforeSave()
             $this->_dataSaveAllowed = true;
             $encrypted = $this->_encryptor->encrypt($value);
             $this->setValue($encrypted);
+        } elseif (empty($value)) {
+            $this->_dataSaveAllowed = true;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Config/Test/Unit/Model/Config/Backend/EncryptedTest.php b/app/code/Magento/Config/Test/Unit/Model/Config/Backend/EncryptedTest.php
index ed284eb16dd41..7dd299e6ae2bd 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Config/Test/Unit/Model/Config/Backend/EncryptedTest.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Config/Test/Unit/Model/Config/Backend/EncryptedTest.php
@@ -92,8 +92,6 @@ public function testProcessValue()
      */
     public function testBeforeSave($value, $expectedValue, $encryptMethodCall)
     {
-        $this->_resourceMock->expects($this->any())->method('addCommitCallback')->will($this->returnSelf());
-        $this->_resourceMock->expects($this->any())->method('commit')->will($this->returnSelf());
         $this->_encryptorMock->expects($this->exactly($encryptMethodCall))
             ->method('encrypt')
             ->with($value)
@@ -113,4 +111,15 @@ public function beforeSaveDataProvider()
     {
         return [['someValue', 'encrypted', 1], ['****', '****', 0]];
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\Encrypted::beforeSave
+     */
+    public function testAllowEmptySave()
+    {
+        $this->_model->setValue('');
+        $this->_model->setPath('some/path');
+        $this->_model->beforeSave();
+        $this->assertTrue($this->_model->isSaveAllowed());
+    }
 }