diff --git a/Source/cmIncludeDirectoryCommand.cxx b/Source/cmIncludeDirectoryCommand.cxx
index ffb0e8086..30c174375 100644
--- a/Source/cmIncludeDirectoryCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmIncludeDirectoryCommand.cxx
@@ -116,13 +116,19 @@ void cmIncludeDirectoryCommand::GetIncludes(const std::string &arg,
       {
       std::string inc = arg.substr(lastPos,pos);
       this->NormalizeInclude(inc);
-      incs.push_back(inc);
+      if (!inc.empty())
+        {
+        incs.push_back(inc);
+        }
       }
     lastPos = pos + 1;
     }
   std::string inc = arg.substr(lastPos);
   this->NormalizeInclude(inc);
-  incs.push_back(inc);
+  if (!inc.empty())
+    {
+    incs.push_back(inc);
+    }
 }
 
 void cmIncludeDirectoryCommand::NormalizeInclude(std::string &inc)
@@ -133,6 +139,11 @@ void cmIncludeDirectoryCommand::NormalizeInclude(std::string &inc)
     {
     inc.assign(inc, b, 1+e-b);   // copy the remaining substring
     }
+  else
+    {
+    inc = "";
+    return;
+    }
 
   if (!cmSystemTools::IsOff(inc.c_str()))
     {
diff --git a/Tests/IncludeDirectories/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/IncludeDirectories/CMakeLists.txt
index 8a60f17d8..3e3ecc90d 100644
--- a/Tests/IncludeDirectories/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/IncludeDirectories/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -58,3 +58,14 @@ get_property(propContentAfter DIRECTORY PROPERTY INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
 if (NOT propContentAfter STREQUAL "")
   message(SEND_ERROR "Clearing DIRECTORY property failed.")
 endif()
+
+add_library(empty_entry_test SHARED empty.cpp)
+set_target_properties(empty_entry_test PROPERTIES INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "")
+include_directories(/one/two
+  " "
+  "  "
+)
+get_target_property(incs empty_entry_test INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+if (NOT incs STREQUAL ";/one/two")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "Empty include_directories entry was not ignored.")
+endif()
diff --git a/Tests/IncludeDirectories/empty.cpp b/Tests/IncludeDirectories/empty.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1787013f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/IncludeDirectories/empty.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#ifdef _WIN32
+__declspec(dllexport)
+#endif
+int empty() { return 0; }