diff --git a/include/maxscale/config.h b/include/maxscale/config.h
index f5165839d..26a12f79f 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/config.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/config.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
 #define MXS_JSON_PTR_PARAMETERS "/data/attributes/parameters"
 
 /** Pointers to relation lists */
+#define MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS          "/data/relationships"
 #define MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS_SERVERS  "/data/relationships/servers/data"
 #define MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS_SERVICES "/data/relationships/services/data"
 #define MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS_MONITORS "/data/relationships/monitors/data"
diff --git a/server/core/config_runtime.cc b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
index 49fa3013e..9100ec974 100644
--- a/server/core/config_runtime.cc
+++ b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
@@ -1093,6 +1093,12 @@ SERVER* runtime_create_server_from_json(json_t* json)
 
 bool server_to_object_relations(SERVER* server, json_t* old_json, json_t* new_json)
 {
+    if (mxs_json_pointer(new_json, MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS) == NULL)
+    {
+        /** No change to relationships */
+        return true;
+    }
+
     bool rval = false;
     set<string> old_relations;
     set<string> new_relations;
@@ -1270,6 +1276,12 @@ MXS_MONITOR* runtime_create_monitor_from_json(json_t* json)
 
 bool object_to_server_relations(const char* target, json_t* old_json, json_t* new_json)
 {
+    if (mxs_json_pointer(new_json, MXS_JSON_PTR_RELATIONSHIPS) == NULL)
+    {
+        /** No change to relationships */
+        return true;
+    }
+
     bool rval = false;
     set<string> old_relations;
     set<string> new_relations;