diff --git a/majak/settings/base.py b/majak/settings/base.py
index 036b10ef365e01fdbe597893adf3466e36b1281a..ba8d18198f0d7ae168dcfb609f393f68735cf5a1 100644
--- a/majak/settings/base.py
+++ b/majak/settings/base.py
@@ -311,4 +311,6 @@ MAPS_UTILS_MAPPROXY_URL = env.str(
 TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN = env.str("TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN", default="")
 
 INSTAGRAM_USERNAME = env.str("INSTAGRAM_USERNAME", default="")
-INSTAGRAM_SESSION = json.loads(env.str("INSTAGRAM_SESSION", default="{{}}"))
+
+raw_instagram_session = env.str("INSTAGRAM_SESSION", default="")
+INSTAGRAM_SESSION = json.loads(raw_instagram_session) if raw_instagram_session != "" else None