diff --git a/oslo_policy/policy.py b/oslo_policy/policy.py
index 2582212..46c2362 100644
--- a/oslo_policy/policy.py
+++ b/oslo_policy/policy.py
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ class Enforcer(object):
         self._loaded_files = []
         self._policy_dir_mtimes = {}
         self._file_cache = {}
+        self._informed_no_policy_file = False
 
     def set_rules(self, rules, overwrite=True, use_conf=False):
         """Create a new :class:`Rules` based on the provided dict of rules.
@@ -486,6 +487,7 @@ class Enforcer(object):
         self._file_cache.clear()
         self.registered_rules = {}
         self.file_rules = {}
+        self._informed_no_policy_file = False
 
     def load_rules(self, force_reload=False):
         """Loads policy_path's rules.
@@ -500,10 +502,17 @@ class Enforcer(object):
 
         if self.use_conf:
             if not self.policy_path:
-                self.policy_path = self._get_policy_path(self.policy_file)
+                try:
+                    self.policy_path = self._get_policy_path(self.policy_file)
+                except cfg.ConfigFilesNotFoundError:
+                    if not self._informed_no_policy_file:
+                        LOG.debug('The policy file %s could not be found.',
+                                  self.policy_file)
+                        self._informed_no_policy_file = True
 
-            self._load_policy_file(self.policy_path, force_reload,
-                                   overwrite=self.overwrite)
+            if self.policy_path:
+                self._load_policy_file(self.policy_path, force_reload,
+                                       overwrite=self.overwrite)
             for path in self.conf.oslo_policy.policy_dirs:
                 try:
                     path = self._get_policy_path(path)
diff --git a/oslo_policy/tests/test_policy.py b/oslo_policy/tests/test_policy.py
index 7178b79..3fad5c9 100644
--- a/oslo_policy/tests/test_policy.py
+++ b/oslo_policy/tests/test_policy.py
@@ -642,6 +642,48 @@ class EnforcerTest(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                           {'roles': ['test']})
 
 
+class EnforcerNoPolicyFileTest(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(EnforcerNoPolicyFileTest, self).setUp()
+
+    def check_loaded_files(self, filenames):
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [self.get_config_file_fullname(n)
+             for n in filenames],
+            self.enforcer._loaded_files
+        )
+
+    def test_load_rules(self):
+        # Check that loading rules with no policy file does not error
+        self.enforcer.load_rules(True)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(self.enforcer.rules)
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(self.enforcer.rules))
+
+    def test_opts_registered(self):
+        self.enforcer.register_default(policy.RuleDefault(name='admin',
+                                       check_str='is_admin:False'))
+        self.enforcer.register_default(policy.RuleDefault(name='owner',
+                                       check_str='role:owner'))
+        self.enforcer.load_rules(True)
+
+        self.assertEqual({}, self.enforcer.file_rules)
+        self.assertEqual('role:owner', str(self.enforcer.rules['owner']))
+        self.assertEqual('is_admin:False', str(self.enforcer.rules['admin']))
+
+    def test_load_directory(self):
+        self.create_config_file('policy.d/a.conf', POLICY_JSON_CONTENTS)
+        self.create_config_file('policy.d/b.conf', POLICY_B_CONTENTS)
+        self.enforcer.load_rules(True)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(self.enforcer.rules)
+        loaded_rules = jsonutils.loads(str(self.enforcer.rules))
+        self.assertEqual('role:fakeB', loaded_rules['default'])
+        self.assertEqual('is_admin:True', loaded_rules['admin'])
+        self.check_loaded_files([
+            'policy.d/a.conf',
+            'policy.d/b.conf',
+        ])
+
+
 class CheckFunctionTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):