diff --git a/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py b/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
index ee1eecb..652274f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
@@ -703,6 +703,16 @@
         # quickly.
         self.assertRaises(IOError, zipfile.ZipFile, TESTFN)
 
+    def test_empty_file_raises_BadZipFile(self):
+        f = open(TESTFN, 'w')
+        f.close()
+        self.assertRaises(zipfile.BadZipfile, zipfile.ZipFile, TESTFN)
+
+        f = open(TESTFN, 'w')
+        f.write("short file")
+        f.close()
+        self.assertRaises(zipfile.BadZipfile, zipfile.ZipFile, TESTFN)
+
     def test_closed_zip_raises_RuntimeError(self):
         # Verify that testzip() doesn't swallow inappropriate exceptions.
         data = StringIO()
diff --git a/Lib/zipfile.py b/Lib/zipfile.py
index 6ee9923..2aa4bff 100644
--- a/Lib/zipfile.py
+++ b/Lib/zipfile.py
@@ -198,7 +198,10 @@
     # Check to see if this is ZIP file with no archive comment (the
     # "end of central directory" structure should be the last item in the
     # file if this is the case).
-    fpin.seek(-sizeEndCentDir, 2)
+    try:
+        fpin.seek(-sizeEndCentDir, 2)
+    except IOError:
+        return None
     data = fpin.read()
     if data[0:4] == stringEndArchive and data[-2:] == "\000\000":
         # the signature is correct and there's no comment, unpack structure