diff --git a/src/common/connection.js b/src/common/connection.js
index cb87dbef..f116e741 100644
--- a/src/common/connection.js
+++ b/src/common/connection.js
@@ -38,6 +38,17 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
     this._nextRequestID = 1;
   }
 
+  _updateLedgerVersions(data) {
+    this._ledgerVersion = Number(data.ledger_index);
+    if (data.validated_ledgers) {
+      this._availableLedgerVersions.reset();
+      this._availableLedgerVersions.parseAndAddRanges(
+        data.validated_ledgers);
+    } else {
+      this._availableLedgerVersions.addValue(this._ledgerVersion);
+    }
+  }
+
   // return value is array of arguments to Connection.emit
   _parseMessage(message) {
     const data = JSON.parse(message);
@@ -48,10 +59,7 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
       return [data.id.toString(), data];
     } else if (isStreamMessageType(data.type)) {
       if (data.type === 'ledgerClosed') {
-        this._ledgerVersion = Number(data.ledger_index);
-        this._availableLedgerVersions.reset();
-        this._availableLedgerVersions.parseAndAddRanges(
-          data.validated_ledgers);
+        this._updateLedgerVersions(data);
       }
       return [data.type, data];
     } else if (data.type === undefined && data.error) {
@@ -99,10 +107,8 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
       command: 'subscribe',
       streams: ['ledger']
     };
-    return this.request(request).then(response => {
-      this._ledgerVersion = Number(response.ledger_index);
-      this._availableLedgerVersions.parseAndAddRanges(
-        response.validated_ledgers);
+    return this.request(request).then(data => {
+      this._updateLedgerVersions(data);
       this._isReady = true;
       this.emit('connected');
     });
diff --git a/test/broadcast-api-test.js b/test/broadcast-api-test.js
index 993d3f3d..bdf6bbd4 100644
--- a/test/broadcast-api-test.js
+++ b/test/broadcast-api-test.js
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ describe('RippleAPIBroadcast', function() {
     this.mocks.forEach(mock => mock.socket.send(JSON.stringify(ledgerNext)));
 
     setTimeout(() => {
-      console.log('-- ledgerVersion', this.api.ledgerVersion);
       assert.strictEqual(gotLedger, 1);
       done();
     }, 50);
diff --git a/test/connection-test.js b/test/connection-test.js
index 24f2dd88..0e14cbc7 100644
--- a/test/connection-test.js
+++ b/test/connection-test.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const assert = require('assert-diff');
 const setupAPI = require('./setup-api');
 const RippleAPI = require('ripple-api').RippleAPI;
 const utils = RippleAPI._PRIVATE.ledgerUtils;
+const ledgerClose = require('./fixtures/rippled/ledger-close.json');
 
 
 function unused() {
@@ -261,4 +262,13 @@ describe('Connection', function() {
 
     this.api.connection._onMessage(JSON.stringify({type: 'unknown'}));
   });
+
+  it('ledger close without validated_ledgers', function(done) {
+    const message = _.omit(ledgerClose, 'validated_ledgers');
+    this.api.on('ledger', function(ledger) {
+      assert.strictEqual(ledger.ledgerVersion, 8819951);
+      done();
+    });
+    this.api.connection._ws.emit('message', JSON.stringify(message));
+  });
 });