diff --git a/roles/backup/defaults/main.yml b/roles/backup/defaults/main.yml
index e35a212..53d3e46 100644
--- a/roles/backup/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/backup/defaults/main.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ backup_dateformat: "%Y-%m-%d-%H%M"
 # List of files/directories to back up
 # Note that tar is NOT instructed to recurse through symlinks
 # If you want it to do that, end the path with a slash!
-backup_s3backup_list:
-  - /root
+backup_s3backup_list: []
 backup_s3backup_list_extra: []
 # Arguments to pass to tar
 # Note that passing f here is probably a bad idea
diff --git a/roles/backup/templates/s3backup.sh b/roles/backup/templates/s3backup.sh
index 44b808f..dac8b7c 100644
--- a/roles/backup/templates/s3backup.sh
+++ b/roles/backup/templates/s3backup.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="{{ backup_s3backup_aws_secret_access_key }}"
 
 # Tar up all items in the backup list, recursively, and pipe them straight
 # up to S3
+if [ -z "${DIRS[@]}" ]; then
+	echo "No directories configured to back up!"
+	exit 0
+fi
 echo "Commencing backup on the following items:"
 for dir in "${DIRS[@]}"; do
 	echo "- $dir"