diff --git a/numpy/ma/core.py b/numpy/ma/core.py
index 4c574b3bed74..fc086e5b7d7b 100644
--- a/numpy/ma/core.py
+++ b/numpy/ma/core.py
@@ -5643,6 +5643,9 @@ def __iter__(self):
                 else:
                     yield d
 
+    def __len__(self):
+        return self._data.__len__()
+
     def filled(self, fill_value=None):
         """
         Return a copy with masked fields filled with a given value.
diff --git a/numpy/ma/tests/test_core.py b/numpy/ma/tests/test_core.py
index 523eb77fcb71..3b25090ab1ea 100644
--- a/numpy/ma/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/numpy/ma/tests/test_core.py
@@ -3527,6 +3527,10 @@ def test_setitem(self):
         a[0]['a'] = 2
         assert_equal(a.mask, control)
 
+    def test_element_len(self):
+        # check that len() works for mvoid (Github issue #576)
+        for rec in self.data['base']:
+            assert_equal(len(rec), len(self.data['ddtype']))
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------