diff --git a/Help/release/dev/cpack-package-empty-dirs.rts b/Help/release/dev/cpack-package-empty-dirs.rts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f56e1a90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/cpack-package-empty-dirs.rts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+cpack-package-empty-dirs
+------------------------
+
+* The :module:`CPack` module learned to package empty directories.
diff --git a/Source/CPack/cmCPackGenerator.cxx b/Source/CPack/cmCPackGenerator.cxx
index 92a4b2bcd..aa4f1814d 100644
--- a/Source/CPack/cmCPackGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/CPack/cmCPackGenerator.cxx
@@ -367,6 +367,8 @@ int cmCPackGenerator::InstallProjectViaInstalledDirectories(
       cmCPackLogger(cmCPackLog::LOG_OUTPUT,
         "- Install directory: " << top << std::endl);
       gl.RecurseOn();
+      gl.SetRecurseListDirs(true);
+//      gl.SetRecurseThroughSymlinks(false);
       if ( !gl.FindFiles(findExpr) )
         {
         cmCPackLogger(cmCPackLog::LOG_ERROR,
@@ -869,6 +871,7 @@ int cmCPackGenerator::InstallProjectViaInstallCMakeProjects(
           cmsys::Glob glB;
           findExpr += "/*";
           glB.RecurseOn();
+          glB.SetRecurseListDirs(true);
           glB.FindFiles(findExpr);
           filesBefore = glB.GetFiles();
           std::sort(filesBefore.begin(),filesBefore.end());
@@ -908,6 +911,7 @@ int cmCPackGenerator::InstallProjectViaInstallCMakeProjects(
           {
           cmsys::Glob glA;
           glA.RecurseOn();
+          glA.SetRecurseListDirs(true);
           glA.FindFiles(findExpr);
           std::vector<std::string> filesAfter = glA.GetFiles();
           std::sort(filesAfter.begin(),filesAfter.end());
@@ -1074,6 +1078,7 @@ int cmCPackGenerator::DoPackage()
   std::string findExpr = tempDirectory;
   findExpr += "/*";
   gl.RecurseOn();
+  gl.SetRecurseListDirs(true);
   gl.SetRecurseThroughSymlinks(false);
   if ( !gl.FindFiles(findExpr) )
     {
diff --git a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
index 26750665d..c24b5ea39 100644
--- a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
@@ -895,12 +895,33 @@ std::string cmSystemTools::FileExistsInParentDirectories(const char* fname,
 
 bool cmSystemTools::cmCopyFile(const char* source, const char* destination)
 {
+  // FIXME remove if statement once kwsys SystemTools get support for
+  // source is directory handling in CopyFileAlways function
+  if(cmSystemTools::FileIsDirectory(source))
+    {
+    return Superclass::MakeDirectory(destination);
+    }
+
   return Superclass::CopyFileAlways(source, destination);
 }
 
 bool cmSystemTools::CopyFileIfDifferent(const char* source,
   const char* destination)
 {
+  // FIXME remove if statement once kwsys SystemTools get support for
+  // source is directory handling in CopyFileIfDifferent function
+  if(cmSystemTools::FileIsDirectory(source))
+    {
+    if(SystemTools::FileExists(destination))
+      {
+      return true;
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      return Superclass::MakeDirectory(destination);
+      }
+    }
+
   return Superclass::CopyFileIfDifferent(source, destination);
 }
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/CMakeLists.txt
index 46f13676b..449172a00 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${GENERATOR_TYPE}/${RunCMake_TEST}-specif
   include("${GENERATOR_TYPE}/${RunCMake_TEST}-specifics.cmake")
 endif()
 
-set(CPACK_GENERATOR "${GENERATOR_TYPE}")
+set(CPACK_GENERATOR "${GENERATOR_TYPE};TGZ")
 include(CPack)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7210e7d63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+set(CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL test)
+install(DIRECTORY DESTINATION empty
+        COMPONENT test)
+
+set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME "components_empty_dir")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5adca685a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+set(whitespaces_ "[\t\n\r ]*")
+
+set(EXPECTED_FILES_COUNT "1")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_1 "components_empty_dir*.deb")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_CONTENT_1 "^.*/usr/${whitespaces_}.*/usr/empty/$")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2720fe921
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+set(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "someone")
+set(CPACK_DEB_COMPONENT_INSTALL "ON")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1552a36ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+set(whitespaces_ "[\t\n\r ]*")
+
+set(EXPECTED_FILES_COUNT "1")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_1 "empty_dir*.deb")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_CONTENT_1 "^.*/usr/${whitespaces_}.*/usr/empty/$")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8821ab9be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/DEB/EMPTY_DIR-specifics.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+set(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "someone")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/EMPTY_DIR.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/EMPTY_DIR.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..023ba173e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/EMPTY_DIR.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+install(DIRECTORY DESTINATION empty
+        COMPONENT test)
+
+set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME "empty_dir")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3962768f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+set(whitespaces_ "[\t\n\r ]*")
+
+set(EXPECTED_FILES_COUNT "1")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_1 "components_empty_dir*.rpm")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_CONTENT_1 "^/usr/empty$")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ddca1275
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+^CPackRPM: Will use GENERATED spec file: .*/Tests/RunCMake/RPM/CPack/COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR-build/_CPack_Packages/.*/RPM/SPECS/components_empty_dir.spec$
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c2977f7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-ExpectedFiles.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+set(whitespaces_ "[\t\n\r ]*")
+
+set(EXPECTED_FILES_COUNT "1")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_1 "empty_dir*.rpm")
+set(EXPECTED_FILE_CONTENT_1 "^/usr/empty$")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1777aa01d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RPM/EMPTY_DIR-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+^CPackRPM: Will use GENERATED spec file: .*/Tests/RunCMake/RPM/CPack/EMPTY_DIR-build/_CPack_Packages/.*/RPM/SPECS/empty_dir.spec$
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RunCMakeTest.cmake
index 3e5714d2c..89673c2ad 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RunCMakeTest.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CPack/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ run_cpack_test(MINIMAL "RPM;DEB" false)
 run_cpack_test(PARTIALLY_RELOCATABLE_WARNING "RPM" false)
 run_cpack_test(DEB_EXTRA "DEB" false)
 run_cpack_test(DEPENDENCIES "RPM;DEB" true)
+run_cpack_test(EMPTY_DIR "RPM;DEB" true)
+run_cpack_test(COMPONENTS_EMPTY_DIR "RPM;DEB" true)