diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 82868fdf5..fe3b3960e 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 
+	* fix error handling of some merkle torrents
 	* fix error handling of unsupported hard-links
 
 1.1.6 release
diff --git a/src/torrent_info.cpp b/src/torrent_info.cpp
index 8deb076af..ed7cb1383 100644
--- a/src/torrent_info.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent_info.cpp
@@ -1258,8 +1258,15 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				m_files.set_piece_length(0);
 				return false;
 			}
-			int num_leafs = merkle_num_leafs(files.num_pieces());
-			int num_nodes = merkle_num_nodes(num_leafs);
+			if (files.num_pieces() <= 0)
+			{
+				ec = errors::no_files_in_torrent;
+				// mark the torrent as invalid
+				m_files.set_piece_length(0);
+				return false;
+			}
+			int const num_leafs = merkle_num_leafs(files.num_pieces());
+			int const num_nodes = merkle_num_nodes(num_leafs);
 			if (num_nodes - num_leafs >= (2<<24))
 			{
 				ec = errors::too_many_pieces_in_torrent;
diff --git a/test/Makefile.am b/test/Makefile.am
index 7aab670e1..f59eb55d3 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = Jamfile \
   test_torrents/httpseed.torrent \
   test_torrents/invalid_file_size.torrent \
   test_torrents/invalid_info.torrent \
+  test_torrents/invalid_merkle.torrent \
   test_torrents/invalid_name.torrent \
   test_torrents/invalid_name2.torrent \
   test_torrents/invalid_name3.torrent \
diff --git a/test/test_torrent_info.cpp b/test/test_torrent_info.cpp
index 37ce96379..fc0847118 100644
--- a/test/test_torrent_info.cpp
+++ b/test/test_torrent_info.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ test_failing_torrent_t test_error_torrents[] =
 	{ "unaligned_pieces.torrent", errors::torrent_invalid_hashes },
 	{ "invalid_root_hash.torrent", errors::torrent_invalid_hashes },
 	{ "invalid_root_hash2.torrent", errors::torrent_missing_pieces },
+	{ "invalid_merkle.torrent", errors::no_files_in_torrent},
 	{ "invalid_file_size.torrent", errors::torrent_invalid_length },
 	{ "invalid_symlink.torrent", errors::torrent_invalid_name },
 };
diff --git a/test/test_torrents/invalid_merkle.torrent b/test/test_torrents/invalid_merkle.torrent
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec555de9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_torrents/invalid_merkle.torrent
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+d10:cion datei15992e4:infod6:lengthi000e4:name4:temp12:piece lengthi12e9:root hash20:‚ž¼Œ&¾ÇJW›}ÜA4u,·¼‘‡ee