diff --git a/hugolib/config.go b/hugolib/config.go
index 8847b3495..e2e9f9329 100644
--- a/hugolib/config.go
+++ b/hugolib/config.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ func LoadConfig(fs afero.Fs, relativeSourcePath, configFilename string) (*viper.
 	}
 
 	if v.IsSet("disableSitemap") {
+		// NOTE: Do not remove this until Hugo 0.24, ERROR in 0.23.
 		helpers.Deprecated("site config", "disableSitemap", "Use disableKinds= [\"sitemap\"]", false)
 	}
 
diff --git a/hugolib/hugo_sites.go b/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
index 6e7034bd2..1091660e7 100644
--- a/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
+++ b/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
@@ -269,6 +269,17 @@ func (h *HugoSites) renderCrossSitesArtifacts() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	sitemapEnabled := false
+	for _, s := range h.Sites {
+		if s.isEnabled(kindSitemap) {
+			sitemapEnabled = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !sitemapEnabled {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// TODO(bep) DRY
 	sitemapDefault := parseSitemap(h.Cfg.GetStringMap("sitemap"))