diff --git a/lib/command/apply.ts b/lib/command/apply.ts
index 3774a55..1b25e10 100644
--- a/lib/command/apply.ts
+++ b/lib/command/apply.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export default function apply(config: Config) {
 
   let previousEntry = journal.then(es => R.last(es));
   let newEntries = Promise.join(previousEntry, apply, (prev, es) =>
-    R.filter(e => e.timestamp > prev.timestamp, es)
+    prev ? R.filter(e => e.timestamp > prev.timestamp, es) : apply
   );
 
   return newEntries
diff --git a/test/command/apply.ts b/test/command/apply.ts
index f52d32b..49758cd 100644
--- a/test/command/apply.ts
+++ b/test/command/apply.ts
@@ -284,4 +284,31 @@ describe('Command apply', () => {
       assert.equal(formatSpy.callCount, 1)
     );
   });
+
+  describe('with empty journal', () => {
+    before(resetSpies);
+
+    before(() => {
+      readJournalStub.restore();
+      readJournalStub = sinon.stub(runner, 'readJournal', () =>
+        Promise.resolve([])
+      );
+
+      applyAllStub.restore();
+      applyAllStub = sinon.stub(
+        runner,
+        'applyAll',
+        (n: string, c: Config, j: string, ms: files.Migration[]) =>
+          Promise.resolve(R.map(migrationToEntry, ms))
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('succeeds', () =>
+      apply(loadObject({commands: {apply: {pending: true}}}))
+    );
+
+    it('calls formatJournalEntry for new entries', () =>
+      assert.equal(formatSpy.callCount, 3)
+    );
+  });
 });