diff --git a/Tests/test_imagepath.py b/Tests/test_imagepath.py
index ba018f2d9a1..1e291ba7c46 100644
--- a/Tests/test_imagepath.py
+++ b/Tests/test_imagepath.py
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ def test_overflow_segfault() -> None:
             x[i] = b"0" * 16
 
 
+def test_compact_empty_path() -> None:
+    p = ImagePath.Path(0)
+    assert p.compact() == 0
+
+
 def test_compact_within_map() -> None:
     p = ImagePath.Path([0, 1])
 
diff --git a/src/path.c b/src/path.c
index d390247b292..b4a56d67134 100644
--- a/src/path.c
+++ b/src/path.c
@@ -326,6 +326,10 @@ path_compact(PyPathObject *self, PyObject *args) {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Path compacted during mapping");
         return NULL;
     }
+    if (self->count == 0) {
+        // no points to remove
+        return Py_BuildValue("i", 0);
+    }
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|d:compact", &cityblock)) {
         return NULL;
     }