diff --git a/lib/markdown2.py b/lib/markdown2.py
index 72e56327..01380593 100755
--- a/lib/markdown2.py
+++ b/lib/markdown2.py
@@ -3379,7 +3379,7 @@ def run(self, text):
                     (?:
                         ^[ ]{0,%d}(?!\ )         # ensure line begins with 0 to less_than_tab spaces
                         .*\|.*[ ]*\n
-                    )+
+                    )*
                 )
             ''' % (less_than_tab, less_than_tab, less_than_tab), re.M | re.X)
         return table_re.sub(self.sub, text)
@@ -3415,17 +3415,19 @@ def sub(self, match: re.Match) -> str:
         hlines.append('</thead>')
 
         # tbody
-        hlines.append('<tbody>')
-        for line in body.strip('\n').split('\n'):
-            hlines.append('<tr>')
-            cols = [re.sub(escape_bar_re, '|', cell.strip()) for cell in re.split(split_bar_re, re.sub(trim_bar_re, "", re.sub(trim_space_re, "", line)))]
-            for col_idx, col in enumerate(cols):
-                hlines.append('  <td{}>{}</td>'.format(
-                    align_from_col_idx.get(col_idx, ''),
-                    self.md._run_span_gamut(col)
-                ))
-            hlines.append('</tr>')
-        hlines.append('</tbody>')
+        body = body.strip('\n')
+        if body:
+            hlines.append('<tbody>')
+            for line in body.split('\n'):
+                hlines.append('<tr>')
+                cols = [re.sub(escape_bar_re, '|', cell.strip()) for cell in re.split(split_bar_re, re.sub(trim_bar_re, "", re.sub(trim_space_re, "", line)))]
+                for col_idx, col in enumerate(cols):
+                    hlines.append('  <td{}>{}</td>'.format(
+                        align_from_col_idx.get(col_idx, ''),
+                        self.md._run_span_gamut(col)
+                    ))
+                hlines.append('</tr>')
+            hlines.append('</tbody>')
         hlines.append('</table>')
 
         return '\n'.join(hlines) + '\n'
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/tables.html b/test/tm-cases/tables.html
index 7a262d81..3f919a1e 100644
--- a/test/tm-cases/tables.html
+++ b/test/tm-cases/tables.html
@@ -394,3 +394,14 @@ <h1>escaping of pipes</h1>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
+
+<h1>table without rows</h1>
+
+<table>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+  <th>abc</th>
+  <th>def</th>
+</tr>
+</thead>
+</table>
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/tables.text b/test/tm-cases/tables.text
index 0cd4e53c..ed7512ae 100644
--- a/test/tm-cases/tables.text
+++ b/test/tm-cases/tables.text
@@ -156,3 +156,8 @@ the rule is it must have at least a single dash in there.
 | A  | \| | C \| C |
 |--- |--- | ------ |
 |\|\|| BB | C |
+
+# table without rows
+
+| abc | def |
+| --- | --- |