diff --git a/tools/pubsys/src/aws/ami/mod.rs b/tools/pubsys/src/aws/ami/mod.rs
index 1340654b6cc..d7911734a91 100644
--- a/tools/pubsys/src/aws/ami/mod.rs
+++ b/tools/pubsys/src/aws/ami/mod.rs
@@ -71,9 +71,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn run(args: &Args, ami_args: &AmiArgs) -> Result<()> {
     let infra_config = InfraConfig::from_path(&args.infra_config_path).context(error::Config)?;
     trace!("Parsed infra config: {:?}", infra_config);
 
-    let aws = infra_config.aws.context(error::MissingConfig {
-        missing: "aws section",
-    })?;
+    let aws = infra_config.aws.unwrap_or_else(|| Default::default());
 
     // If the user gave an override list of regions, use that, otherwise use what's in the config.
     let mut regions = if !ami_args.regions.is_empty() {
diff --git a/tools/pubsys/src/config.rs b/tools/pubsys/src/config.rs
index 962ea62922f..d4489a4362a 100644
--- a/tools/pubsys/src/config.rs
+++ b/tools/pubsys/src/config.rs
@@ -34,11 +34,13 @@ impl InfraConfig {
 }
 
 /// AWS-specific infrastructure configuration
-#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
 pub(crate) struct AwsConfig {
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) regions: VecDeque<String>,
     pub(crate) role: Option<String>,
     pub(crate) profile: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) region: HashMap<String, AwsRegionConfig>,
 }