diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting.go b/pkg/setting/setting.go
index 3f0e65a1711..4544b72d97e 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting.go
@@ -563,6 +563,10 @@ func ToAbsUrl(relativeUrl string) string {
 }
 
 func RedactedValue(key, value string) string {
+	if value == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+
 	uppercased := strings.ToUpper(key)
 	// Sensitive information: password, secrets etc
 	for _, pattern := range []string{
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_test.go b/pkg/setting/setting_test.go
index 2bc539cbeb4..81521e55a86 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_test.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_test.go
@@ -767,3 +767,37 @@ func TestAlertingEnabled(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRedactedValue(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		desc     string
+		key      string
+		value    string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			desc:     "non-sensitive key",
+			key:      "admin_user",
+			value:    "admin",
+			expected: "admin",
+		},
+		{
+			desc:     "sensitive key with non-empty value",
+			key:      "private_key_path",
+			value:    "/path/to/key",
+			expected: RedactedPassword,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:     "sensitive key with empty value",
+			key:      "private_key_path",
+			value:    "",
+			expected: "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, tc.expected, RedactedValue(tc.key, tc.value))
+		})
+	}
+}