diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/updatenode.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/updatenode.pm
index 20bde94bd..460f40056 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/updatenode.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/updatenode.pm
@@ -803,24 +803,24 @@ sub updatenode
             {
                 push @{$syncfile_node{$synclist}}, $node;
             }
-        }
+         }
 
-        # Check the existence of the synclist file
-        foreach my $synclist (keys %syncfile_node)
-        {
+         # Check the existence of the synclist file
+         foreach my $synclist (keys %syncfile_node)
+         {
             if (!(-r $synclist))
             {
                 my $rsp = {};
                 $rsp->{data}->[0] =
-                  "The Synclist file $synclist which specified for certain node does NOT existed.";
+                  "The Synclist file $synclist which was specified for the nodes does NOT existed.";
                 xCAT::MsgUtils->message("E", $rsp, $callback);
                 return 1;
             }
-        }
-
-        # Sync files to the target nodes
-        foreach my $synclist (keys %syncfile_node)
-        {
+         }
+         if (%syncfile_node) { # there are files to sync defined
+          #Sync files to the target nodes
+          foreach my $synclist (keys %syncfile_node)
+          {
             if ($::VERBOSE)
             {
                 my $rsp = {};
@@ -851,10 +851,15 @@ sub updatenode
                       },
                       $callback
                       );
-        }
-        my $rsp = {};
-        $rsp->{data}->[0] = "File synchronization has completed.";
-        $callback->($rsp);
+         }
+         my $rsp = {};
+         $rsp->{data}->[0] = "File synchronization has completed.";
+         $callback->($rsp);
+       } else { # no syncfiles defined
+         my $rsp = {};
+         $rsp->{data}->[0] = "There were no syncfiles defined to process. File synchronization has completed.";
+         $callback->($rsp);
+       }
     }
 
     if (scalar(@$AIXnodes))