diff --git a/Lib/test/test_set.py b/Lib/test/test_set.py
index bb1081f..e4766ab 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_set.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_set.py
@@ -895,6 +895,12 @@
             self.assertEqual(self.set, copy,
                              "%s != %s" % (self.set, copy))
 
+    def test_issue_37219(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            set().difference(123)
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            set().difference_update(123)
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class TestBasicOpsEmpty(TestBasicOps, unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-06-10-23-18-31.bpo-37219.jPSufq.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-06-10-23-18-31.bpo-37219.jPSufq.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef8f52d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-06-10-23-18-31.bpo-37219.jPSufq.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Remove errorneous optimization for empty set differences.
diff --git a/Objects/setobject.c b/Objects/setobject.c
index bd03160..8cd95ba 100644
--- a/Objects/setobject.c
+++ b/Objects/setobject.c
@@ -1456,10 +1456,6 @@
 static int
 set_difference_update_internal(PySetObject *so, PyObject *other)
 {
-    if (PySet_GET_SIZE(so) == 0) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     if ((PyObject *)so == other)
         return set_clear_internal(so);
 
@@ -1534,10 +1530,6 @@
     Py_ssize_t pos = 0, other_size;
     int rv;
 
-    if (PySet_GET_SIZE(so) == 0) {
-        return set_copy(so, NULL);
-    }
-
     if (PyAnySet_Check(other)) {
         other_size = PySet_GET_SIZE(other);
     }