diff --git a/docs/devel/qapi-code-gen.txt b/docs/devel/qapi-code-gen.txt
index 4ce67752a752..ec2d3744836a 100644
--- a/docs/devel/qapi-code-gen.txt
+++ b/docs/devel/qapi-code-gen.txt
@@ -436,8 +436,7 @@ Union types are used to let the user choose between several different
 variants for an object.  There are two flavors: simple (no
 discriminator or base), and flat (both discriminator and base).  A union
 type is defined using a data dictionary as explained in the following
-paragraphs.  The data dictionary for either type of union must not
-be empty.
+paragraphs.  Unions must have at least one branch.
 
 A simple union type defines a mapping from automatic discriminator
 values to data types like in this example:
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/common.py b/scripts/qapi/common.py
index 99db18f3d6c5..3393a049cc7b 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/common.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/common.py
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ def check_union(expr, info):
 
     # With no discriminator it is a simple union.
     if discriminator is None:
-        enum_define = None
+        enum_values = members.keys()
         allow_metas = ['built-in', 'union', 'alternate', 'struct', 'enum']
         if base is not None:
             raise QAPISemError(info, "Simple union '%s' must not have a base" %
@@ -885,16 +885,17 @@ def check_union(expr, info):
                                'must not be conditional' %
                                (base, discriminator, name))
         enum_define = enum_types.get(discriminator_value['type'])
-        allow_metas = ['struct']
         # Do not allow string discriminator
         if not enum_define:
             raise QAPISemError(info,
                                "Discriminator '%s' must be of enumeration "
                                "type" % discriminator)
+        enum_values = enum_get_names(enum_define)
+        allow_metas = ['struct']
+
+    if (len(enum_values) == 0):
+        raise QAPISemError(info, "Union '%s' has no branches" % name)
 
-    # Check every branch; don't allow an empty union
-    if len(members) == 0:
-        raise QAPISemError(info, "Union '%s' cannot have empty 'data'" % name)
     for (key, value) in members.items():
         check_name(info, "Member of union '%s'" % name, key)
 
@@ -907,8 +908,8 @@ def check_union(expr, info):
 
         # If the discriminator names an enum type, then all members
         # of 'data' must also be members of the enum type.
-        if enum_define:
-            if key not in enum_get_names(enum_define):
+        if discriminator is not None:
+            if key not in enum_values:
                 raise QAPISemError(info,
                                    "Discriminator value '%s' is not found in "
                                    "enum '%s'"
@@ -1578,7 +1579,6 @@ def __init__(self, tag_name, tag_member, variants):
         assert bool(tag_member) != bool(tag_name)
         assert (isinstance(tag_name, str) or
                 isinstance(tag_member, QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember))
-        assert len(variants) > 0
         for v in variants:
             assert isinstance(v, QAPISchemaObjectTypeVariant)
         self._tag_name = tag_name
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.err b/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.err
index 15754f54eb92..fedbc0d1cfee 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.err
@@ -1 +1 @@
-tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json:4: Union 'Union' cannot have empty 'data'
+tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json:4: Union 'Union' has no branches
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json b/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json
index 77f1d9abfb8f..83e1cc7b96be 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/flat-union-empty.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# flat unions cannot be empty
+# flat union discriminator cannot be empty
 { 'enum': 'Empty', 'data': [ ] }
 { 'struct': 'Base', 'data': { 'type': 'Empty' } }
 { 'union': 'Union', 'base': 'Base', 'discriminator': 'type', 'data': { } }
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.json b/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.json
index 8b0d47c4ab4e..75c42eb0e3e9 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.json
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.json
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@
 { 'struct': 'Empty1', 'data': { } }
 { 'struct': 'Empty2', 'base': 'Empty1', 'data': { } }
 
+# Likewise for an empty flat union
+{ 'union': 'Union',
+  'base': { 'type': 'EnumOne' }, 'discriminator': 'type',
+  'data': { } }
+
 { 'command': 'user_def_cmd0', 'data': 'Empty2', 'returns': 'Empty2' }
 
 # for testing override of default naming heuristic
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.out b/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.out
index bea7976bbbbd..98031da96f0c 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.out
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/qapi-schema-test.out
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@ enum MyEnum
 object Empty1
 object Empty2
     base Empty1
+object q_obj_Union-base
+    member type: EnumOne optional=False
+object Union
+    base q_obj_Union-base
+    tag type
+    case value1: q_empty
+    case value2: q_empty
+    case value3: q_empty
+    case value4: q_empty
 command user_def_cmd0 Empty2 -> Empty2
    gen=True success_response=True boxed=False oob=False preconfig=False
 enum QEnumTwo
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.err b/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.err
index 12c20221bdfb..d4241a38a2c4 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.err
@@ -1 +1 @@
-tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json:2: Union 'Union' cannot have empty 'data'
+tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json:2: Union 'Union' has no branches
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json b/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json
index 1f0b13ca21ae..df3e5e639a5e 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/union-empty.json
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-# unions cannot be empty
+# simple unions cannot be empty
 { 'union': 'Union', 'data': { } }