diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index e8dca64..7fe4d83 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ func parseTLSConfig(config *fTLSConfig, defaultServerName string, basePath strin
 }
 
 func parseMQTTSink(basePath string, sinkID int, sink *fMQTTSink) (*MQTTSink, error) {
+	if sink == nil {
+		sink = &fMQTTSink{}
+	}
 	res := &MQTTSink{}
 	if sink.Name == "" {
 		res.Name = fmt.Sprintf("unnamed-mqtt-sink-%d", sinkID)
@@ -196,6 +199,9 @@ func parseMQTTSink(basePath string, sinkID int, sink *fMQTTSink) (*MQTTSink, err
 }
 
 func parseCloudPubSubSink(basePath string, sinkID int, sink *fCloudPubSubSink) (*CloudPubSubSink, error) {
+	if sink == nil {
+		sink = &fCloudPubSubSink{}
+	}
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	res := &CloudPubSubSink{}
 	if sink.Name == "" {
@@ -246,6 +252,9 @@ func parseCloudPubSubSink(basePath string, sinkID int, sink *fCloudPubSubSink) (
 }
 
 func parseStdoutSink(sinkID int, sink *fStdoutSink) (*StdoutSink, error) {
+	if sink == nil {
+		sink = &fStdoutSink{}
+	}
 	res := &StdoutSink{}
 	if sink.Name == "" {
 		res.Name = fmt.Sprintf("unnamed-stdout-sink-%d", sinkID)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index aa627c4..4aba392 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -134,3 +134,21 @@ func TestParsingEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected difference:\n%v", diff)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParsingEmptySink(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := Read("testdata/test2/config.toml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse config: %v", err)
+	}
+	expectedConfig := &Config{
+		Adapter: "hci0",
+		Sinks: []Sink{
+			&StdoutSink{
+				Name: "unnamed-stdout-sink-0",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	if diff := cmpConfig(config, expectedConfig); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected difference:\n%v", diff)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/testdata/test2/config.toml b/pkg/config/testdata/test2/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d4f713
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/testdata/test2/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[[sinks.stdout]]