diff --git a/src/core/config.js b/src/core/config.js
index 7848e69f0e..2fb66bb558 100644
--- a/src/core/config.js
+++ b/src/core/config.js
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ const configSchema = s({
     })),
     Bootstrap: optional(s(['multiaddr-ipfs']))
   })),
+  ipld: 'object?',
   libp2p: optional(union(['function', 'object'])) // libp2p validates this
 }, {
   repoOwner: true
diff --git a/test/core/create-node.spec.js b/test/core/create-node.spec.js
index cf5ba30e43..4fdf708720 100644
--- a/test/core/create-node.spec.js
+++ b/test/core/create-node.spec.js
@@ -409,4 +409,18 @@ describe('create node', function () {
       })
     })
   })
+
+  it('ipld: { }', function (done) {
+    this.timeout(80 * 1000)
+
+    const node = new IPFS({
+      repo: tempRepo,
+      ipld: {}
+    })
+
+    node.once('start', (err) => {
+      expect(err).to.not.exist()
+      done()
+    })
+  })
 })