diff --git a/doc/source/admin/drivers/sql.rst b/doc/source/admin/drivers/sql.rst
index 4c4a729..e208467 100644
--- a/doc/source/admin/drivers/sql.rst
+++ b/doc/source/admin/drivers/sql.rst
@@ -51,11 +51,12 @@
    - pipeline:
        name: post-merge
        success:
-         mydb_conn: {}
+         mydb_conn:
        failure:
-         mydb_conn: {}
+         mydb_conn:
 
 .. attr:: pipeline.<reporter>.<sql source>
 
-   To report to a database, add an empty dictionary to the desired
-   pipeline :ref:`reporter<reporters>` attributes.
+   To report to a database, add a key with the connection name and an
+   empty value to the desired pipeline :ref:`reporter<reporters>`
+   attributes.
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/sql-driver/git/common-config/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/sql-driver/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
index a221855..01a8d0f 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/sql-driver/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/sql-driver/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
     success:
       gerrit:
         Verified: 1
-      resultsdb: {}
+      resultsdb:
     failure:
       gerrit:
         Verified: -1
-      resultsdb: {}
-      resultsdb_failures: {}
+      resultsdb:
+      resultsdb_failures:
 
 - job:
     name: project-merge
diff --git a/zuul/driver/sql/sqlreporter.py b/zuul/driver/sql/sqlreporter.py
index 6d1d087..7c79176 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/sql/sqlreporter.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/sql/sqlreporter.py
@@ -79,5 +79,5 @@
 
 
 def getSchema():
-    sql_reporter = v.Schema({})
+    sql_reporter = v.Schema(None)
     return sql_reporter