diff --git a/src/server/qgsconfigparserutils.cpp b/src/server/qgsconfigparserutils.cpp
index 4b325f534cf9..9fd629f3ffaa 100644
--- a/src/server/qgsconfigparserutils.cpp
+++ b/src/server/qgsconfigparserutils.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void QgsConfigParserUtils::appendCRSElementToLayer( QDomElement& layerElement, c
   layerElement.insertAfter( crsElement, precedingElement );
 }
 
-void QgsConfigParserUtils::appendLayerBoundingBoxes( QDomElement& layerElem, QDomDocument& doc, const QgsRectangle& layerExtent,
+void QgsConfigParserUtils::appendLayerBoundingBoxes( QDomElement& layerElem, QDomDocument& doc, const QgsRectangle& lExtent,
     const QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem& layerCRS, const QStringList &crsList, const QStringList& constrainedCrsList )
 {
   if ( layerElem.isNull() )
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@ void QgsConfigParserUtils::appendLayerBoundingBoxes( QDomElement& layerElem, QDo
     return;
   }
 
+  QgsRectangle layerExtent = lExtent;
+  if ( qgsDoubleNear( layerExtent.xMinimum(), layerExtent.xMaximum() ) || qgsDoubleNear( layerExtent.yMinimum(), layerExtent.yMaximum() ) )
+  {
+    //layer bbox cannot be empty
+    layerExtent.grow( 0.000001 );
+  }
+
   QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem wgs84 = QgsCRSCache::instance()->crsByOgcWmsCrs( GEO_EPSG_CRS_AUTHID );
 
   QString version = doc.documentElement().attribute( "version" );