diff --git a/Lib/pickle.py b/Lib/pickle.py
index 4e80cca..926869e 100644
--- a/Lib/pickle.py
+++ b/Lib/pickle.py
@@ -621,8 +621,11 @@
         proto = self.proto
 
         n = len(obj)
-        if n == 0 and proto:
-            write(EMPTY_TUPLE)
+        if n == 0:
+            if proto:
+                write(EMPTY_TUPLE)
+            else:
+                write(MARK + TUPLE)
             return
 
         save = self.save
@@ -639,13 +642,13 @@
                 self.memoize(obj)
             return
 
-        # proto 0, or proto 1 and tuple isn't empty, or proto > 1 and tuple
+        # proto 0 or proto 1 and tuple isn't empty, or proto > 1 and tuple
         # has more than 3 elements.
         write(MARK)
         for element in obj:
             save(element)
 
-        if n and id(obj) in memo:
+        if id(obj) in memo:
             # Subtle.  d was not in memo when we entered save_tuple(), so
             # the process of saving the tuple's elements must have saved
             # the tuple itself:  the tuple is recursive.  The proper action
@@ -660,10 +663,9 @@
                 write(POP * (n+1) + get)
             return
 
-        # No recursion (including the empty-tuple case for protocol 0).
+        # No recursion.
         self.write(TUPLE)
-        if obj:                      # No need to memoize empty tuple
-            self.memoize(obj)
+        self.memoize(obj)
 
     dispatch[TupleType] = save_tuple
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/pickletester.py b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
index f1a1384..249cc54 100644
--- a/Lib/test/pickletester.py
+++ b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
@@ -484,6 +484,27 @@
         self.assertEqual(x, y)
 
     def test_short_tuples(self):
+        # Map (proto, len(tuple)) to expected opcode.
+        expected_opcode = {(0, 0): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (0, 1): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (0, 2): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (0, 3): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (0, 4): pickle.TUPLE,
+
+                           (1, 0): pickle.EMPTY_TUPLE,
+                           (1, 1): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (1, 2): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (1, 3): pickle.TUPLE,
+                           (1, 4): pickle.TUPLE,
+
+                           (2, 0): pickle.EMPTY_TUPLE,
+                           (2, 1): pickle.TUPLE1,
+                           (2, 2): pickle.TUPLE2,
+                           (2, 3): pickle.TUPLE3,
+                           (2, 4): pickle.TUPLE,
+                          }
+        all_tuple_opcodes = (pickle.TUPLE, pickle.EMPTY_TUPLE,
+                             pickle.TUPLE1, pickle.TUPLE2, pickle.TUPLE3)
         a = ()
         b = (1,)
         c = (1, 2)
@@ -495,6 +516,16 @@
                 y = self.loads(s)
                 self.assertEqual(x, y, (proto, x, s, y))
 
+                # Verify that the protocol-correct tuple-building opcode
+                # was generated.
+                expected = expected_opcode[proto, len(x)]
+                for opcode in s:
+                    if opcode in all_tuple_opcodes:
+                        self.assertEqual(expected, opcode)
+                        break
+                else:
+                    self.fail("didn't find a tuple-building opcode in pickle")
+
     def test_singletons(self):
         for proto in protocols:
             for x in None, False, True: