diff --git a/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js b/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
index fe1e82b2c45..14e9ce3178c 100644
--- a/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
+++ b/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
@@ -175,10 +175,15 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
                     
                     self._lineEndings = FileUtils.sniffLineEndings(text);
                     
-                    try {
-                        result.resolve(JSON.parse(text));
-                    } catch (e) {
-                        result.reject(new ParsingError("Invalid JSON settings at " + path + "(" + e.toString() + ")"));
+                    // If the file is empty, turn it into an empty object
+                    if (/^\s*$/.test(text)) {
+                        result.resolve({});
+                    } else {
+                        try {
+                            result.resolve(JSON.parse(text));
+                        } catch (e) {
+                            result.reject(new ParsingError("Invalid JSON settings at " + path + "(" + e.toString() + ")"));
+                        }
                     }
                 });
             } else {
diff --git a/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test-files/empty.json b/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test-files/empty.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test.js b/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test.js
index 209f9186c6e..69fca88cfa6 100644
--- a/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test.js
+++ b/test/spec/PreferencesBase-test.js
@@ -1067,8 +1067,9 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
         });
         
         describe("File Storage", function () {
-            var settingsFile = FileSystem.getFileForPath(testPath + "/.brackets.json"),
-                newSettingsFile = FileSystem.getFileForPath(testPath + "/new.prefs"),
+            var settingsFile      = FileSystem.getFileForPath(testPath + "/.brackets.json"),
+                newSettingsFile   = FileSystem.getFileForPath(testPath + "/new.prefs"),
+                emptySettingsFile = FileSystem.getFileForPath(testPath + "/empty.json"),
                 filestorage,
                 originalText;
             
@@ -1207,6 +1208,18 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
                     }]);
                 });
             });
+            
+            it("is fine with empty preferences files", function () {
+                var filestorage = new PreferencesBase.FileStorage(emptySettingsFile.fullPath),
+                    promise = filestorage.load();
+                
+                waitsForDone(promise, "loading empty JSON file");
+                runs(function () {
+                    promise.then(function (data) {
+                        expect(data).toEqual({});
+                    });
+                });
+            });
         });
     });
 });