diff --git a/src/api/c/assign.cpp b/src/api/c/assign.cpp
index 26220f197c..1595ceeb1d 100644
--- a/src/api/c/assign.cpp
+++ b/src/api/c/assign.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ void assign(Array<Tout> &out, const unsigned &ndims, const af_seq *index, const
     dim4 const outDs = out.dims();
     dim4 const iDims = in_.dims();
 
+    // Nothing to do for empty arrays
+    if (iDims.elements() == 0) return;
+
     DIM_ASSERT(0, (outDs.ndims()>=iDims.ndims()));
     DIM_ASSERT(0, (outDs.ndims()>=(dim_t)ndims));
 
diff --git a/test/assign.cpp b/test/assign.cpp
index 8eb81584df..885934f2db 100644
--- a/test/assign.cpp
+++ b/test/assign.cpp
@@ -1002,3 +1002,18 @@ TEST(Assign, ISSUE_1764)
         }
     }
 }
+
+TEST(Assign, ISSUE_1677)
+{
+    try {
+        dim_t sz = 1;
+        af::array a = af::constant(1.0f, 3, sz, f32);
+        af::array b = af::constant(2.0f, 3, sz, f32);
+        af::array cond = af::constant(0, sz, b8); // all false
+        a(af::span, cond) = b(af::span, cond);
+    } catch(af::exception &ex) {
+        FAIL() << "ArrayFire exception: " << ex.what();
+    } catch(...) {
+        FAIL() << "Unknown exception thrown";
+    }
+}