diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence_types.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence_types.cpp
index 5bf419ec06..8aa929cc1d 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence_types.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence_types.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,10 @@ void read(const FileNode& node, Mat& m, const Mat& default_mat)
 
     size_t nelems = data_node.size();
     if (nelems == 0)
+    {
         m = Mat();
+        return;
+    }
     CV_Assert(nelems == m.total()*m.channels());
 
     data_node.readRaw(dt, (uchar*)m.ptr(), m.total()*m.elemSize());
diff --git a/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp b/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
index 77f918df1f..e6fffa2594 100644
--- a/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/test/test_io.cpp
@@ -2043,7 +2043,10 @@ void testExactMat(const Mat& src, const char* ext)
     EXPECT_EQ(dst.empty(), srcIsEmpty);
     EXPECT_EQ(src.dims, dst.dims);
     EXPECT_EQ(src.size, dst.size);
-    EXPECT_EQ(cv::norm(src, dst, NORM_INF), 0.0);
+    if (!srcIsEmpty)
+    {
+        EXPECT_EQ(0.0, cv::norm(src, dst, NORM_INF));
+    }
 }
 
 typedef testing::TestWithParam<const char*> FileStorage_exact_type;