diff --git a/devops-service/db/mongo/models/deploy_env/deploy_env_base.rb b/devops-service/db/mongo/models/deploy_env/deploy_env_base.rb
index 3c3bbf1..f2885da 100644
--- a/devops-service/db/mongo/models/deploy_env/deploy_env_base.rb
+++ b/devops-service/db/mongo/models/deploy_env/deploy_env_base.rb
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ module Devops
                                      ::Validators::FieldValidator::Expires]
 
       set_field_validators :chef_client_options, [::Validators::FieldValidator::Nil,
-                                     ::Validators::FieldValidator::FieldType::String,
-                                     ::Validators::FieldValidator::NotEmpty]
+                                     ::Validators::FieldValidator::FieldType::String]
 
       def initialize d={}
         self.identifier = d["identifier"]
diff --git a/devops-service/lib/executors/server_executor.rb b/devops-service/lib/executors/server_executor.rb
index 7cf84e8..08e4dc3 100644
--- a/devops-service/lib/executors/server_executor.rb
+++ b/devops-service/lib/executors/server_executor.rb
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ module Devops
           @out.flush
           cmd << " -j http://#{DevopsConfig.config[:address]}:#{DevopsConfig.config[:port]}/#{DevopsConfig.config[:url_prefix]}/v2.0/deploy/data/#{file}"
         else
-          if @deploy_env.chef_client_options
+          if @deploy_env.chef_client_options && !@deploy_env.chef_client_options.empty?
             cmd << " #{@deploy_env.chef_client_options}"
           else
             cmd << " -r #{deploy_info["run_list"].join(",")}" unless @server.stack.nil?
diff --git a/devops-service/spec/executors/server_executor_spec.rb b/devops-service/spec/executors/server_executor_spec.rb
index db48152..ce8135f 100644
--- a/devops-service/spec/executors/server_executor_spec.rb
+++ b/devops-service/spec/executors/server_executor_spec.rb
@@ -581,6 +581,12 @@ RSpec.describe Devops::Executor::ServerExecutor, type: :executor, stubbed_connec
         expect(stubbed_knife).to receive(:ssh_stream).with(anything, 'chef-client --no-color -r role', any_args)
         deploy_server
       end
+
+      it "doesn't use deploy_env's chef_client_options if it's blank string" do
+        deploy_env.chef_client_options = ''
+        expect(stubbed_knife).to receive(:ssh_stream).with(anything, 'chef-client --no-color', any_args)
+        deploy_server
+      end
     end
 
     it "uses server's key" do
diff --git a/devops-service/spec/models/deploy_env/shared_deploy_env_specs.rb b/devops-service/spec/models/deploy_env/shared_deploy_env_specs.rb
index e8e8b42..ffdd708 100644
--- a/devops-service/spec/models/deploy_env/shared_deploy_env_specs.rb
+++ b/devops-service/spec/models/deploy_env/shared_deploy_env_specs.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ RSpec.shared_examples 'deploy env' do
     include_examples 'field type validation', :run_list, :not_nil, :maybe_empty_array, :run_list, :field_validator
     include_examples 'field type validation', :users, :not_nil, :maybe_empty_array, :field_validator
     include_examples 'field type validation', :expires, :maybe_nil, :non_empty_string, :field_validator
-    include_examples 'field type validation', :chef_client_options, :maybe_nil, :non_empty_string, :field_validator
+    include_examples 'field type validation', :chef_client_options, :maybe_nil, :maybe_empty_string, :field_validator
 
     it 'should be valid only with all users available' do
       expect(build(validated_model_name, users: ['root'])).to be_valid