diff --git a/Lib/distutils/dist.py b/Lib/distutils/dist.py
index 8bcb88c..7903c2a 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/dist.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/dist.py
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@
             # command options will override any supplied redundantly
             # through the general options dictionary.
             options = attrs.get('options')
-            if options:
+            if options is not None:
                 del attrs['options']
                 for (command, cmd_options) in options.items():
                     opt_dict = self.get_option_dict(command)
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py
index f1b11c1..8e7ef5d 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import io
 import sys
 import unittest
+import warnings
 
 from test.support import TESTFN
 
@@ -96,6 +97,29 @@
             os.unlink(TESTFN)
 
 
+    def test_empty_options(self):
+        # an empty options dictionary should not stay in the
+        # list of attributes
+        klass = distutils.dist.Distribution
+
+        # catching warnings
+        warns = []
+        def _warn(msg):
+            warns.append(msg)
+
+        old_warn = warnings.warn
+        warnings.warn = _warn
+        try:
+            dist = klass(attrs={'author': 'xxx',
+                                'name': 'xxx',
+                                'version': 'xxx',
+                                'url': 'xxxx',
+                                'options': {}})
+        finally:
+            warnings.warn = old_warn
+
+        self.assertEquals(len(warns), 0)
+
 class MetadataTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_simple_metadata(self):