diff --git a/src/jasentaa/position.clj b/src/jasentaa/position.clj
index b69e14e..6266395 100644
--- a/src/jasentaa/position.clj
+++ b/src/jasentaa/position.clj
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
   (apply str (map :char augmented-text)))
 
 (defn parse-exception [location]
-  (java.text.ParseException.
-    (str "Failed to parse text at line: " (:line location) ", col: " (:col location))
-    (int (:offset location))))
+  (if (nil? location)
+    (java.text.ParseException. (str "Unable to parse empty text") 0)
+    (java.text.ParseException.
+      (str "Failed to parse text at line: " (:line location) ", col: " (:col location))
+      (int (:offset location)))))
diff --git a/test/jasentaa/position_test.clj b/test/jasentaa/position_test.clj
index eff3984..a64e90e 100644
--- a/test/jasentaa/position_test.clj
+++ b/test/jasentaa/position_test.clj
@@ -30,5 +30,8 @@
 
 (deftest check-exception
   (is (thrown-with-msg? java.text.ParseException
-	#"Failed to parse text at line: 6, col: 31"
-	(throw (parse-exception (Location. \Y 6 31 321))))))
+    #"Unable to parse empty text"
+    (throw (parse-exception nil))))
+  (is (thrown-with-msg? java.text.ParseException
+    #"Failed to parse text at line: 6, col: 31"
+    (throw (parse-exception (Location. \Y 6 31 321))))))
diff --git a/test/jasentaa/worked_example_1.clj b/test/jasentaa/worked_example_1.clj
index 5e7c4d6..2c67abc 100644
--- a/test/jasentaa/worked_example_1.clj
+++ b/test/jasentaa/worked_example_1.clj
@@ -76,4 +76,9 @@
   (is (thrown-with-msg?
         java.text.ParseException
         #"Failed to parse text at line: 1, col: 7"
-        (parse-all search-expr "steel iron"))))
+        (parse-all search-expr "steel iron")))
+
+  (is (thrown-with-msg?
+        java.text.ParseException
+        #"Unable to parse empty text"
+        (parse-all search-expr ""))))