diff --git a/usr.bin/patch/common.h b/usr.bin/patch/common.h
index 1e69ee9b07fd..3253df27e684 100644
--- a/usr.bin/patch/common.h
+++ b/usr.bin/patch/common.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ extern size_t	buf_size;	/* size of general purpose buffer */
 
 extern bool	using_plan_a;	/* try to keep everything in memory */
 extern bool	out_of_mem;	/* ran out of memory in plan a */
+extern bool	nonempty_patchf_seen;	/* seen a non-zero-length patch file? */
 
 #define	MAXFILEC 2
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/patch/patch.c b/usr.bin/patch/patch.c
index b52919fe0467..8342dba688bc 100644
--- a/usr.bin/patch/patch.c
+++ b/usr.bin/patch/patch.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ size_t		buf_size;		/* size of the general purpose buffer */
 
 bool		using_plan_a = true;	/* try to keep everything in memory */
 bool		out_of_mem = false;	/* ran out of memory in plan a */
+bool		nonempty_patchf_seen = false;	/* seen nonempty patch file? */
 
 #define MAXFILEC 2
 
@@ -419,7 +420,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		set_signals(1);
 	}
 
-	if (!patch_seen)
+	if (!patch_seen && nonempty_patchf_seen)
 		error = 2;
 
 	my_exit(error);
diff --git a/usr.bin/patch/pch.c b/usr.bin/patch/pch.c
index 0b583ea7eb31..50e1604b9b92 100644
--- a/usr.bin/patch/pch.c
+++ b/usr.bin/patch/pch.c
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ there_is_another_patch(void)
 			say("done\n");
 		return false;
 	}
+	if (p_filesize == 0)
+		return false;
+	nonempty_patchf_seen = true;
 	if (verbose)
 		say("Hmm...");
 	diff_type = intuit_diff_type();