diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/error.js b/lib/workers/repository/error.js
index c49366922aa8ce41c51890526c7e5cfb0f6e274b..a932c4f58c1b34fc1ba3fa66fdee6180b5a6d976 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/error.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/error.js
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ async function handleError(config, err) {
     delete config.branchList; // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
     return err.message;
   }
+  if (err.message === 'empty') {
+    logger.info('Repository is empty - skipping');
+    delete config.branchList; // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
+    return err.message;
+  }
   if (err.message === 'disabled') {
     logger.info('Repository is disabled - skipping');
     return err.message;
diff --git a/test/workers/repository/error.spec.js b/test/workers/repository/error.spec.js
index c87623f51979f5af2864f00ab32760e14c1f05fa..f2ee28ba52394956d16cd2cbc23f411c55f92f1e 100644
--- a/test/workers/repository/error.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/repository/error.spec.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/error', () => {
   describe('handleError()', () => {
     const errors = [
       'uninitiated',
+      'empty',
       'disabled',
       'repository-changed',
       'fork',