diff --git a/src/components/area.js b/src/components/area.js
index 0cd3bde..ffeedaf 100644
--- a/src/components/area.js
+++ b/src/components/area.js
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ function(array, config, obj, fn, string, d3util, mixins, dataFns) {
 
       dataConfig = area.data();
       // Return early if there's no data.
-      if (!dataConfig || !dataConfig.data) {
+      if (!dataConfig || !dataConfig.data || !dataConfig.data.length) {
         return area;
       }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/components/area.spec.js b/test/unit/components/area.spec.js
index 15d1578..4fabd24 100644
--- a/test/unit/components/area.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/components/area.spec.js
@@ -312,6 +312,23 @@ function(area, dc) {
         expect(exceptionThrown).toBe(false);
       });
 
+      it('dies gracefully if data is set but empty', function() {
+        var exceptionThrown = false;
+        dataCollection = dc.create();
+        dataCollection.add({
+          id: 'foo',
+          data: []
+        });
+        testArea = area();
+        testArea.data(dataCollection);
+        try {
+          testArea.render(selection);
+        } catch (e) {
+          exceptionThrown = true;
+        }
+        expect(exceptionThrown).toBe(false);
+      });
+
     });
 
     describe('root()', function() {