diff --git a/tensorflow/core/kernels/ctc_loss_op.cc b/tensorflow/core/kernels/ctc_loss_op.cc
index b0e298a0f329f0..ca505e1db93145 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/kernels/ctc_loss_op.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/core/kernels/ctc_loss_op.cc
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ class CTCLossOp : public OpKernel {
 
     const TensorShape& inputs_shape = inputs->shape();
     const int64 max_time = inputs_shape.dim_size(0);
+    OP_REQUIRES(ctx, max_time != 0,
+                errors::InvalidArgument(
+                    "Max time or first dimension of input cannot be 0."));
     const int64 batch_size = inputs_shape.dim_size(1);
     const int64 num_classes_raw = inputs_shape.dim_size(2);
     OP_REQUIRES(