diff --git a/lib/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js b/lib/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
index 2bab2164c1..9b46be722f 100644
--- a/lib/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
+++ b/lib/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
@@ -40,25 +40,19 @@ headers.forEach(header => {
 
 	const pos = tableUtils.getCellPosition(header, tableGrid);
 
-	// look for any column cell that has content and is not a column header
+	// ensure column header has at least 1 non-header cell
 	let hasCell = false;
 	if (tableUtils.isColumnHeader(header)) {
 		hasCell = tableUtils
 			.traverse('down', pos, tableGrid)
-			.some(
-				cell =>
-					axe.commons.dom.hasContent(cell) && !tableUtils.isColumnHeader(cell)
-			);
+			.find(cell => !tableUtils.isColumnHeader(cell));
 	}
 
-	// look for any row cell that has content and is not a row header
+	// ensure row header has at least 1 non-header cell
 	if (!hasCell && tableUtils.isRowHeader(header)) {
 		hasCell = tableUtils
 			.traverse('right', pos, tableGrid)
-			.some(
-				cell =>
-					axe.commons.dom.hasContent(cell) && !tableUtils.isRowHeader(cell)
-			);
+			.find(cell => !tableUtils.isRowHeader(cell));
 	}
 
 	// report the node as having failed
diff --git a/test/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js b/test/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
index 3507734a16..850705fed7 100644
--- a/test/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
+++ b/test/checks/tables/th-has-data-cells.js
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ describe('th-has-data-cells', function() {
 		);
 	});
 
-	it('should return undefined if all data cells are empty', function() {
+	it('should return true if all data cells are empty', function() {
 		fixture.innerHTML =
 			'<table>' +
 			'  <tr> <th>hi</th> <td></td> </tr>' +
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ describe('th-has-data-cells', function() {
 
 		axe.testUtils.flatTreeSetup(fixture);
 		var node = fixture.querySelector('table');
-		assert.isUndefined(
+		assert.isTrue(
 			checks['th-has-data-cells'].evaluate.call(checkContext, node)
 		);
 	});
diff --git a/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.html b/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.html
index 4aec27f427..187d4ad934 100644
--- a/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.html
+++ b/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.html
@@ -30,17 +30,6 @@
 				</tr>
 			</table>
 
-			<table id="table2">
-				<tr>
-					<th>hi</th>
-					<td></td>
-				</tr>
-				<tr>
-					<th>hi</th>
-					<td></td>
-				</tr>
-			</table>
-
 			<table id="table3">
 				<tr>
 					<td>axe</td>
diff --git a/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.js b/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.js
index 82b165df24..5f26a53293 100644
--- a/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.js
+++ b/test/integration/full/incomplete/th-has-data-cells.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe('th-has-data-cells cantTell test', function() {
 	describe('incomplete data', function() {
 		it('should be incomplete for missing or empty data cells', function() {
 			var resultNodes = results.incomplete[0].nodes;
-			assert.lengthOf(resultNodes, 3);
+			assert.lengthOf(resultNodes, 2);
 			resultNodes[0].any.forEach(function(check) {
 				assert.match(check.message, 'Table data cells are missing or empty');
 			});
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.html b/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.html
index ba04856ee5..43a44421fd 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.html
+++ b/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.html
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@
 	</tr>
 </table>
 
+<table id="pass8">
+	<tr>
+		<th>hi</th>
+		<td></td>
+	</tr>
+	<tr>
+		<th>hi</th>
+		<td></td>
+	</tr>
+</table>
+
 <table id="canttell1">
 	<tr>
 		<td>axe</td>
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.json b/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.json
index 2fe908052f..6bec1f1b27 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.json
+++ b/test/integration/rules/th-has-data-cells/th-has-data-cells.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 		["#pass4"],
 		["#pass5"],
 		["#pass6"],
-		["#pass7"]
+		["#pass7"],
+		["#pass8"]
 	]
 }