diff --git a/hyperlink/_url.py b/hyperlink/_url.py
index de8aca06..81fc7fb0 100644
--- a/hyperlink/_url.py
+++ b/hyperlink/_url.py
@@ -1093,6 +1093,9 @@ def child(self, *segments):
            URL: A copy of the current URL with the extra path segments.
 
         """
+        if not segments:
+            return self
+
         segments = [_textcheck('path segment', s) for s in segments]
         new_segs = _encode_path_parts(segments, joined=False, maximal=False)
         new_path = self.path[:-1 if (self.path and self.path[-1] == u'')
diff --git a/hyperlink/test/test_url.py b/hyperlink/test/test_url.py
index 94a30d95..cbb08431 100644
--- a/hyperlink/test/test_url.py
+++ b/hyperlink/test/test_url.py
@@ -330,6 +330,13 @@ def test_childInitRoot(self):
         self.assertTrue(childURL.rooted)
         self.assertEqual("http://www.foo.com/c", childURL.to_text())
 
+    def test_emptyChild(self):
+        """
+        L{URL.child} without any new segments returns the original L{URL}.
+        """
+        url = URL(host=u"www.foo.com")
+        self.assertEqual(url.child(), url)
+
     def test_sibling(self):
         """
         L{URL.sibling} of a L{URL} replaces the last path segment, but does not