diff --git a/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema.rb b/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema.rb
index af8bd0b1..320ba0ce 100644
--- a/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema.rb
+++ b/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def response_validate(status, headers, response, _test_method = false)
           data = JSON.parse(full_body) if parse_to_json
         end
 
-        Committee::SchemaValidator::HyperSchema::ResponseValidator.new(link, validate_success_only: validator_option.validate_success_only).call(status, headers, data)
+        Committee::SchemaValidator::HyperSchema::ResponseValidator.new(link, validate_success_only: validator_option.validate_success_only, permit_blank_structures: validator_option.permit_blank_structures).call(status, headers, data)
       end
 
       def link_exist?
diff --git a/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema/response_validator.rb b/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema/response_validator.rb
index 44a3d03d..59bb77df 100644
--- a/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema/response_validator.rb
+++ b/lib/committee/schema_validator/hyper_schema/response_validator.rb
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@ module Committee
   module SchemaValidator
     class HyperSchema
       class ResponseValidator
-        attr_reader :validate_success_only
+        attr_reader :validate_success_only, :permit_blank_structures
 
         def initialize(link, options = {})
           @link = link
           @validate_success_only = options[:validate_success_only]
+          @permit_blank_structures = options[:permit_blank_structures]
 
           @validator = JsonSchema::Validator.new(target_schema(link))
         end
@@ -39,9 +40,18 @@ def call(status, headers, data)
             return if data == nil
           end
 
-          if Committee::Middleware::ResponseValidation.validate?(status, validate_success_only) && !@validator.validate(data)
-            errors = JsonSchema::SchemaError.aggregate(@validator.errors).join("\n")
-            raise InvalidResponse, "Invalid response.\n\n#{errors}"
+          if permit_blank_structures && @link.is_a?(Committee::Drivers::OpenAPI2::Link) && !@link.target_schema
+            return if data.nil?
+          end
+
+          begin
+            if Committee::Middleware::ResponseValidation.validate?(status, validate_success_only) && !@validator.validate(data)
+              errors = JsonSchema::SchemaError.aggregate(@validator.errors).join("\n")
+              raise InvalidResponse, "Invalid response.\n\n#{errors}"
+            end
+          rescue => e
+            raise InvalidResponse, "Invalid response.\n\nschema is undefined" if /undefined method .all_of. for nil/ =~ e.message
+            raise e
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/lib/committee/schema_validator/option.rb b/lib/committee/schema_validator/option.rb
index 72c773d9..d428eee8 100644
--- a/lib/committee/schema_validator/option.rb
+++ b/lib/committee/schema_validator/option.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ class Option
                   :optimistic_json,
                   :validate_success_only,
                   :parse_response_by_content_type,
-                  :parameter_overwite_by_rails_rule
+                  :parameter_overwite_by_rails_rule,
+                  :permit_blank_structures
 
       # Non-boolean options:
       attr_reader :headers_key,
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ def initialize(options, schema, schema_type)
         @optimistic_json                  = options.fetch(:optimistic_json, false)
         @parse_response_by_content_type   = options.fetch(:parse_response_by_content_type, true)
         @parameter_overwite_by_rails_rule = options.fetch(:parameter_overwite_by_rails_rule, true)
+        @permit_blank_structures          = options.fetch(:permit_blank_structures, false)
 
         # Boolean options and have a different value by default
         @allow_get_body        = options.fetch(:allow_get_body, schema.driver.default_allow_get_body)
diff --git a/test/data/openapi2/petstore-expanded.json b/test/data/openapi2/petstore-expanded.json
index 06bea91e..fbb34170 100644
--- a/test/data/openapi2/petstore-expanded.json
+++ b/test/data/openapi2/petstore-expanded.json
@@ -184,6 +184,17 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "/pets/cat": {
+      "get": {
+        "description": "Returns pets which are cats",
+        "operationId": "find pets which are cats",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "empty schema"
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
   },
   "definitions": {
diff --git a/test/middleware/response_validation_test.rb b/test/middleware/response_validation_test.rb
index 3b0bde52..6901726c 100644
--- a/test/middleware/response_validation_test.rb
+++ b/test/middleware/response_validation_test.rb
@@ -136,6 +136,29 @@ def app
     assert_equal 200, last_response.status
   end
 
+  it "passes through a valid response for OpenAPI when data=nil, target_schema=empty, permit_blank_structures=true" do
+    @app = new_rack_app("null", {},
+                        permit_blank_structures: true, schema: open_api_2_schema)
+    get "/api/pets/cat"
+    assert_equal 200, last_response.status
+  end
+
+  it "invalid responses for OpenAPI when data=nil, target_schema=empty, permit_blank_structures=false" do
+    @app = new_rack_app("null", {},
+                        permit_blank_structures: false, schema: open_api_2_schema)
+    get "/api/pets/cat"
+    assert_equal 500, last_response.status
+    assert_match(/Invalid response/i, last_response.body)
+  end
+
+  it "passes through a valid response for OpenAPI when data=nil, target_schema=present, permit_blank_structures=true" do
+    @app = new_rack_app("null", {},
+                        permit_blank_structures: true, schema: open_api_2_schema)
+    get "/api/pets/dog"
+    assert_equal 500, last_response.status
+    assert_match(/nil is not an array/i, last_response.body)
+  end
+
   it "detects an invalid response for OpenAPI" do
     @app = new_rack_app("{_}", {}, schema: open_api_2_schema)
     get "/api/pets"