diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
index 009ab7d8b7..d926fd0b2e 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
@@ -432,12 +432,13 @@ public:
             CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Missing \':\'" );
 
         saveptr = endptr + 1;
+        if( endptr == ptr )
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "An empty key" );
+
         do c = *--endptr;
         while( c == ' ' );
 
         ++endptr;
-        if( endptr == ptr )
-            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "An empty key" );
 
         value_placeholder = fs->addNode(map_node, std::string(ptr, endptr - ptr), FileNode::NONE);
         ptr = saveptr;
diff --git a/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp b/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
index 7e2a9d52d4..a6d44a3316 100644
--- a/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
@@ -1673,6 +1673,21 @@ TEST(Core_InputOutput, FileStorage_free_file_after_exception)
     ASSERT_EQ(0, std::remove(fileName.c_str()));
 }
 
+TEST(Core_InputOutput, FileStorage_YAML_empty_key)
+{
+    const std::string fileName = cv::tempfile("FileStorage_YAML_empty_key_test.yml");
+    const std::string content = "%YAML:1.0\n---\nkey1: value1\n: 10\n";
+
+    std::fstream testFile;
+    testFile.open(fileName.c_str(), std::fstream::out);
+    if(!testFile.is_open()) FAIL();
+    testFile << content;
+    testFile.close();
+
+    EXPECT_THROW(FileStorage(fileName, FileStorage::READ), cv::Exception);
+    ASSERT_EQ(0, std::remove(fileName.c_str()));
+}
+
 TEST(Core_InputOutput, FileStorage_write_to_sequence)
 {
     const std::vector<std::string> formatExts = { ".yml", ".json", ".xml" };