diff --git a/enzyme/Enzyme/AdjointGenerator.h b/enzyme/Enzyme/AdjointGenerator.h
index cbd80ae4d478..883995ccc7d7 100644
--- a/enzyme/Enzyme/AdjointGenerator.h
+++ b/enzyme/Enzyme/AdjointGenerator.h
@@ -5998,7 +5998,10 @@ class AdjointGenerator : public llvm::InstVisitor<AdjointGenerator> {
                                     augmentcall, {(unsigned)tval}, "subcache");
           if (tape->getType()->isEmptyTy()) {
             auto tt = tape->getType();
-            gutils->erase(cast<Instruction>(tape));
+            // If the tape is returned directly, it is the augmented call
+            // itself, which must be kept for its side effects.
+            if (tape != augmentcall)
+              gutils->erase(cast<Instruction>(tape));
             tape = UndefValue::get(tt);
           } else {
             gutils->TapesToPreventRecomputation.insert(cast<Instruction>(tape));
diff --git a/enzyme/test/Enzyme/ReverseMode/custom-split-empty-tape.ll b/enzyme/test/Enzyme/ReverseMode/custom-split-empty-tape.ll
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d0062800575b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/enzyme/test/Enzyme/ReverseMode/custom-split-empty-tape.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+; RUN: if [ %llvmver -ge 15 ]; then %opt < %s %OPnewLoadEnzyme -passes="enzyme" -enzyme-preopt=false -S | FileCheck %s; fi
+
+; @square has a custom augmented forward pass that returns only an empty tape
+; ({}) and writes to %out. @top reads %out after calling @caller, so Enzyme
+; differentiates @caller in split mode. The augmented forward pass of @caller
+; returns the tape of @square directly, and must keep the call to
+; @augment_square for its store to %out.
+
+define internal {} @augment_square(ptr %x, ptr %dx, ptr %out, ptr %dout) {
+entry:
+  %v = load double, ptr %x
+  %m = fmul double %v, %v
+  store double %m, ptr %out
+  ret {} undef
+}
+
+define internal {} @gradient_square(ptr %x, ptr %dx, ptr %out, ptr %dout, {} %tape) {
+entry:
+  %v = load double, ptr %x
+  %d = load double, ptr %dout
+  store double 0.000000e+00, ptr %dout
+  %t = fmul double %d, %v
+  %t2 = fmul double %t, 2.000000e+00
+  %o = load double, ptr %dx
+  %n = fadd double %o, %t2
+  store double %n, ptr %dx
+  ret {} undef
+}
+
+declare !enzyme_augment !{ptr @augment_square} !enzyme_gradient !{ptr @gradient_square} void @square(ptr %x, ptr %out)
+
+define void @caller(ptr %x, ptr %out) {
+entry:
+  call void @square(ptr %x, ptr %out)
+  ret void
+}
+
+define void @top(ptr %x, ptr %out) {
+entry:
+  call void @caller(ptr %x, ptr %out)
+  %v = load double, ptr %out
+  %m = fmul double %v, %v
+  store double %m, ptr %out
+  ret void
+}
+
+define void @dtop(ptr %x, ptr %dx, ptr %out, ptr %dout) {
+entry:
+  call void (...) @__enzyme_autodiff(ptr @top, ptr %x, ptr %dx, ptr %out, ptr %dout)
+  ret void
+}
+
+declare void @__enzyme_autodiff(...)
+
+; CHECK: define internal {} @augmented_caller(ptr %x, ptr %"x'", ptr %out, ptr %"out'")
+; CHECK-NEXT: entry:
+; CHECK-NEXT:   %0 = alloca {}, align 8
+; CHECK-NEXT:   %_augmented = call {} @augment_square(ptr %x, ptr %"x'", ptr %out, ptr %"out'")
+; CHECK-NEXT:   %1 = load {}, ptr %0, align 1
+; CHECK-NEXT:   ret {} %1
+; CHECK-NEXT: }
+
+; CHECK: define internal void @diffecaller(ptr %x, ptr %"x'", ptr %out, ptr %"out'", {} %tapeArg)
+; CHECK-NEXT: entry:
+; CHECK-NEXT:   br label %invertentry
+; CHECK: invertentry:
+; CHECK-NEXT:   %0 = call {} @gradient_square(ptr %x, ptr %"x'", ptr %out, ptr %"out'", {} undef)
+; CHECK-NEXT:   ret void
+; CHECK-NEXT: }