diff --git a/image-kitty.c b/image-kitty.c
index 284511549..572ef856b 100644
--- a/image-kitty.c
+++ b/image-kitty.c
@@ -952,6 +952,12 @@ kitty_append(struct kitty_state *ks, const u_char *buf, size_t len)
 	free(copy);
 	if (decoded == NULL)
 		return (-1);
+
+	/* Empty decoded chunks need no allocation. */
+	if (decodedlen == 0) {
+		free(decoded);
+		return (0);
+	}
 	if (decodedlen > IMAGE_SIZE_LIMIT - ks->rawlen) {
 		free(decoded);
 		return (-1);
diff --git a/regress/image-kitty-protocol.sh b/regress/image-kitty-protocol.sh
index 08537a1ad..7256e7f6e 100644
--- a/regress/image-kitty-protocol.sh
+++ b/regress/image-kitty-protocol.sh
@@ -142,6 +142,12 @@ with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='tmux-kitty-protocol-') as tmp:
         check('invalid-reply', origin + graphics('a=T,i=7,p=9,f=32,s=1,v=1', '!!!!'),
               '5,2', graphics('i=7,p=9', 'EINVAL'))
         check('quiet-error', origin + graphics('a=T,q=2,i=7,f=32,s=1,v=1', '!!!!'), '5,2')
+        check('empty-decoded-payload', origin +
+              graphics('a=T,i=7,f=32,s=1,v=1', '    '), '5,2',
+              graphics('i=7', 'EINVAL'))
+        check('empty-decoded-chunk',
+              graphics(placement + ',m=1', '    ') + origin +
+              graphics('m=0', pixel), '8,4')
         check('quiet-ok', origin + graphics('a=t,q=1,i=7,f=32,s=1,v=1', pixel), '5,2')
         check('quiet-one-error', origin + graphics('a=t,q=1,i=7,f=32,s=1,v=1', '!!!!'),
               '5,2', graphics('i=7', 'EINVAL'))