diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMapSync.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMapSync.cpp
index bdd4d1dae..f58a5ea6b 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMapSync.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMapSync.cpp
@@ -149,10 +149,16 @@ bool SHAMap::getNodeFat(const SHAMapNode& wanted, std::vector<SHAMapNode>& nodeI
 	SHAMapTreeNode::pointer node = getNode(wanted);
 	if (!node)
 	{
-		cLog(lsWARNING) << "peer requested node that not in the map: " << wanted;
+		cLog(lsWARNING) << "peer requested node that is not in the map: " << wanted;
 		throw std::runtime_error("Peer requested node not in map");
 	}
 
+	if (node->isEmpty())
+	{
+		cLog(lsWARNING) << "peer requests empty node";
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	nodeIDs.push_back(*node);
 	Serializer s;
 	node->addRaw(s, snfWIRE);