diff --git a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
index 389cae86..9c2f7335 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
@@ -1564,7 +1564,7 @@ class AbstractDCS(abc.ABC):
         """
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def _citus_cluster_loader(self, path: Any) -> Union[Cluster, Dict[int, Cluster]]:
+    def _citus_cluster_loader(self, path: Any) -> Dict[int, Cluster]:
         """Load and build all Patroni clusters from a single Citus cluster.
 
         :param path: the path in DCS where to load Cluster(s) from.
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/consul.py b/patroni/dcs/consul.py
index 58e20030..1324e606 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/consul.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/consul.py
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class Consul(AbstractDCS):
     def _cluster_loader(self, path: str) -> Cluster:
         _, results = self.retry(self._client.kv.get, path, recurse=True, consistency=self._consistency)
         if results is None:
-            raise NotFound
+            return Cluster.empty()
         nodes = {}
         for node in results:
             node['Value'] = (node['Value'] or b'').decode('utf-8')
@@ -445,8 +445,6 @@ class Consul(AbstractDCS):
     ) -> Union[Cluster, Dict[int, Cluster]]:
         try:
             return loader(path)
-        except NotFound:
-            return Cluster.empty()
         except Exception:
             logger.exception('get_cluster')
             raise ConsulError('Consul is not responding properly')
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
index f242a6b2..3be699a6 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
@@ -710,13 +710,20 @@ class Etcd(AbstractEtcd):
         return Cluster(initialize, config, leader, status, members, failover, sync, history, failsafe)
 
     def _cluster_loader(self, path: str) -> Cluster:
-        result = self.retry(self._client.read, path, recursive=True, quorum=self._ctl)
+        try:
+            result = self.retry(self._client.read, path, recursive=True, quorum=self._ctl)
+        except etcd.EtcdKeyNotFound:
+            return Cluster.empty()
         nodes = {node.key[len(result.key):].lstrip('/'): node for node in result.leaves}
         return self._cluster_from_nodes(result.etcd_index, nodes)
 
     def _citus_cluster_loader(self, path: str) -> Dict[int, Cluster]:
+        try:
+            result = self.retry(self._client.read, path, recursive=True, quorum=self._ctl)
+        except etcd.EtcdKeyNotFound:
+            return {}
+
         clusters: Dict[int, Dict[str, etcd.EtcdResult]] = defaultdict(dict)
-        result = self.retry(self._client.read, path, recursive=True, quorum=self._ctl)
         for node in result.leaves:
             key = node.key[len(result.key):].lstrip('/').split('/', 1)
             if len(key) == 2 and citus_group_re.match(key[0]):
@@ -729,8 +736,6 @@ class Etcd(AbstractEtcd):
         cluster = None
         try:
             cluster = loader(path)
-        except etcd.EtcdKeyNotFound:
-            cluster = Cluster.empty()
         except Exception as e:
             self._handle_exception(e, 'get_cluster', raise_ex=EtcdError('Etcd is not responding properly'))
         self._has_failed = False
diff --git a/tests/test_etcd.py b/tests/test_etcd.py
index 90402b5f..874aac5c 100644
--- a/tests/test_etcd.py
+++ b/tests/test_etcd.py
@@ -274,6 +274,8 @@ class TestEtcd(unittest.TestCase):
         cluster = self.etcd.get_cluster()
         self.assertIsInstance(cluster, Cluster)
         self.assertIsInstance(cluster.workers[1], Cluster)
+        self.etcd._base_path = '/service/nocluster'
+        self.assertTrue(self.etcd.get_cluster().is_empty())
 
     def test_touch_member(self):
         self.assertFalse(self.etcd.touch_member(''))