diff --git a/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp b/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp
index d4fbcec50c..c437fee5a0 100644
--- a/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp
+++ b/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp
@@ -2093,23 +2093,29 @@ bool wxStyledTextCtrl::SaveFile(const wxString& filename)
 
 bool wxStyledTextCtrl::LoadFile(const wxString& filename)
 {
+    bool success = false;
     wxFile file(filename, wxFile::read);
 
-    if (!file.IsOpened())
-        return FALSE;
-
-    wxString contents;
-    off_t len = file.Length();
-
-    wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
-    bool success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
-    contents.UngetWriteBuf();
-
-    if (success)
+    if (file.IsOpened())
     {
-        SetText(contents);
-        EmptyUndoBuffer();
-        SetSavePoint();
+        wxString contents;
+        off_t len = file.Length();
+
+        if (len > 0)
+        {
+            wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
+            success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
+            contents.UngetWriteBuf();
+        }
+        else
+            success = true;		// empty file is ok
+
+        if (success)
+        {
+            SetText(contents);
+            EmptyUndoBuffer();
+            SetSavePoint();
+        }
     }
 
     return success;
diff --git a/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp.in b/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
index 8952840b6c..60360d977e 100644
--- a/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
+++ b/contrib/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
@@ -325,23 +325,29 @@ bool wxStyledTextCtrl::SaveFile(const wxString& filename)
 
 bool wxStyledTextCtrl::LoadFile(const wxString& filename)
 {
+    bool success = false;
     wxFile file(filename, wxFile::read);
 
-    if (!file.IsOpened())
-        return FALSE;
-
-    wxString contents;
-    off_t len = file.Length();
-
-    wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
-    bool success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
-    contents.UngetWriteBuf();
-
-    if (success)
+    if (file.IsOpened())
     {
-        SetText(contents);
-        EmptyUndoBuffer();
-        SetSavePoint();
+        wxString contents;
+        off_t len = file.Length();
+
+        if (len > 0)
+        {
+            wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
+            success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
+            contents.UngetWriteBuf();
+        }
+        else
+            success = true;		// empty file is ok
+
+        if (success)
+        {
+            SetText(contents);
+            EmptyUndoBuffer();
+            SetSavePoint();
+        }
     }
 
     return success;
diff --git a/src/stc/stc.cpp b/src/stc/stc.cpp
index d4fbcec50c..c437fee5a0 100644
--- a/src/stc/stc.cpp
+++ b/src/stc/stc.cpp
@@ -2093,23 +2093,29 @@ bool wxStyledTextCtrl::SaveFile(const wxString& filename)
 
 bool wxStyledTextCtrl::LoadFile(const wxString& filename)
 {
+    bool success = false;
     wxFile file(filename, wxFile::read);
 
-    if (!file.IsOpened())
-        return FALSE;
-
-    wxString contents;
-    off_t len = file.Length();
-
-    wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
-    bool success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
-    contents.UngetWriteBuf();
-
-    if (success)
+    if (file.IsOpened())
     {
-        SetText(contents);
-        EmptyUndoBuffer();
-        SetSavePoint();
+        wxString contents;
+        off_t len = file.Length();
+
+        if (len > 0)
+        {
+            wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
+            success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
+            contents.UngetWriteBuf();
+        }
+        else
+            success = true;		// empty file is ok
+
+        if (success)
+        {
+            SetText(contents);
+            EmptyUndoBuffer();
+            SetSavePoint();
+        }
     }
 
     return success;
diff --git a/src/stc/stc.cpp.in b/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
index 8952840b6c..60360d977e 100644
--- a/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
+++ b/src/stc/stc.cpp.in
@@ -325,23 +325,29 @@ bool wxStyledTextCtrl::SaveFile(const wxString& filename)
 
 bool wxStyledTextCtrl::LoadFile(const wxString& filename)
 {
+    bool success = false;
     wxFile file(filename, wxFile::read);
 
-    if (!file.IsOpened())
-        return FALSE;
-
-    wxString contents;
-    off_t len = file.Length();
-
-    wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
-    bool success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
-    contents.UngetWriteBuf();
-
-    if (success)
+    if (file.IsOpened())
     {
-        SetText(contents);
-        EmptyUndoBuffer();
-        SetSavePoint();
+        wxString contents;
+        off_t len = file.Length();
+
+        if (len > 0)
+        {
+            wxChar *buf = contents.GetWriteBuf(len);
+            success = (file.Read(buf, len) == len);
+            contents.UngetWriteBuf();
+        }
+        else
+            success = true;		// empty file is ok
+
+        if (success)
+        {
+            SetText(contents);
+            EmptyUndoBuffer();
+            SetSavePoint();
+        }
     }
 
     return success;