diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 49c4b4dc6..f86984350 100755
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -1691,7 +1691,10 @@ def config_func(lib, opts, args):
     # Dump configuration.
     else:
         config_out = config.dump(full=opts.defaults, redact=opts.redact)
-        print_(util.text_string(config_out))
+        if config_out.strip() != '{}':
+            print_(util.text_string(config_out))
+        else:
+            print("Empty configuration")
 
 
 def config_edit():
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index e33299fab..cc86b0292 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ Changelog
 
 New features:
 
+* When config is printed with no available configuration a new message is printed.
+  :bug: `3779`
 * :doc:`/plugins/chroma`: Update file metadata after generating fingerprints through the `submit` command.
 * :doc:`/plugins/lastgenre`: Added more heavy metal genres: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_genres to genres.txt and genres-tree.yaml
 * :doc:`/plugins/subsonicplaylist`: import playlist from a subsonic server.