diff --git a/Tests/test_imagefont.py b/Tests/test_imagefont.py
index 12b687c3b..fde312f44 100644
--- a/Tests/test_imagefont.py
+++ b/Tests/test_imagefont.py
@@ -393,6 +393,11 @@ class TestImageFont(PillowTestCase):
         # Assert
         self.assert_image_equal(im, target_img)
 
+    def test_getsize_empty(self):
+        font = self.get_font()
+        # should not crash. 
+        self.assertEqual((0, 0), font.getsize(''))
+
     def _test_fake_loading_font(self, path_to_fake, fontname):
         # Make a copy of FreeTypeFont so we can patch the original
         free_type_font = copy.deepcopy(ImageFont.FreeTypeFont)
diff --git a/_imagingft.c b/_imagingft.c
index cd17758e4..3eb8bc0b7 100644
--- a/_imagingft.c
+++ b/_imagingft.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ getfont(PyObject* self_, PyObject* args, PyObject* kw)
     unsigned char* font_bytes;
     int font_bytes_size = 0;
     static char* kwlist[] = {
-        "filename", "size", "index", "encoding", "font_bytes", 
+        "filename", "size", "index", "encoding", "font_bytes",
         "layout_engine", NULL
     };
 
@@ -449,8 +449,6 @@ font_getsize(FontObject* self, PyObject* args)
     y_max = y_min = 0;
 
     count = text_layout(string, self, dir, features, &glyph_info, 0);
-    if (count == 0)
-        return NULL;
 
     for (x = i = 0; i < count; i++) {
         int index, error;