diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flag/sectioned.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flag/sectioned.go
index b2b9cea2b7e..52275aa6f3c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flag/sectioned.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flag/sectioned.go
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ func (nfs *NamedFlagSets) FlagSet(name string) *pflag.FlagSet {
 func PrintSections(w io.Writer, fss NamedFlagSets, cols int) {
 	for _, name := range fss.Order {
 		fs := fss.FlagSets[name]
+		if !fs.HasFlags() {
+			continue
+		}
 
 		wideFS := pflag.NewFlagSet("", pflag.ExitOnError)
 		wideFS.AddFlagSet(fs)