@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package docker

 import (

 	"encoding/json"

+	"errors"

 	"fmt"

 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/archive"

 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/auth"

@@ -16,6 +17,10 @@ import (

 	"strings"

 )

+var (

+	ErrDockerfileEmpty = errors.New("Dockerfile cannot be empty")

+)

+

 type BuildFile interface {

 	Build(io.Reader) (string, error)

 	CmdFrom(string) error

@@ -529,6 +534,9 @@ func (b *buildFile) Build(context io.Reader) (string, error) {

 	if err != nil {

 		return "", err

 	}

+	if len(fileBytes) == 0 {

+		return "", ErrDockerfileEmpty

+	}

 	dockerfile := string(fileBytes)

 	dockerfile = lineContinuation.ReplaceAllString(dockerfile, "")

 	stepN := 0

@@ -630,3 +630,11 @@ func TestBuildFails(t *testing.T) {

 		t.Fatalf("StatusCode %d unexpected, should be 23", sterr.Code)

 	}

 }

+

+func TestBuildFailsDockerfileEmpty(t *testing.T) {

+	_, err := buildImage(testContextTemplate{``, nil, nil}, t, nil, true)

+

+	if err != docker.ErrDockerfileEmpty {

+		t.Fatal("Expected: %v, got: %v", docker.ErrDockerfileEmpty, err)

+	}

+}