diff --git a/git-add--interactive.perl b/git-add--interactive.perl
index 69aeaf03ec..8ce1ec92c2 100755
--- a/git-add--interactive.perl
+++ b/git-add--interactive.perl
@@ -731,14 +731,17 @@ sub parse_diff_header {
 
 	my $head = { TEXT => [], DISPLAY => [], TYPE => 'header' };
 	my $mode = { TEXT => [], DISPLAY => [], TYPE => 'mode' };
+	my $deletion = { TEXT => [], DISPLAY => [], TYPE => 'deletion' };
 
 	for (my $i = 0; $i < @{$src->{TEXT}}; $i++) {
-		my $dest = $src->{TEXT}->[$i] =~ /^(old|new) mode (\d+)$/ ?
-			$mode : $head;
+		my $dest =
+		   $src->{TEXT}->[$i] =~ /^(old|new) mode (\d+)$/ ? $mode :
+		   $src->{TEXT}->[$i] =~ /^deleted file/ ? $deletion :
+		   $head;
 		push @{$dest->{TEXT}}, $src->{TEXT}->[$i];
 		push @{$dest->{DISPLAY}}, $src->{DISPLAY}->[$i];
 	}
-	return ($head, $mode);
+	return ($head, $mode, $deletion);
 }
 
 sub hunk_splittable {
@@ -1206,7 +1209,7 @@ sub patch_update_file {
 	my ($ix, $num);
 	my $path = shift;
 	my ($head, @hunk) = parse_diff($path);
-	($head, my $mode) = parse_diff_header($head);
+	($head, my $mode, my $deletion) = parse_diff_header($head);
 	for (@{$head->{DISPLAY}}) {
 		print;
 	}
@@ -1214,6 +1217,9 @@ sub patch_update_file {
 	if (@{$mode->{TEXT}}) {
 		unshift @hunk, $mode;
 	}
+	if (@{$deletion->{TEXT}} && !@hunk) {
+		@hunk = ($deletion);
+	}
 
 	$num = scalar @hunk;
 	$ix = 0;
@@ -1267,7 +1273,9 @@ sub patch_update_file {
 			print;
 		}
 		print colored $prompt_color, $patch_mode_flavour{VERB},
-		  ($hunk[$ix]{TYPE} eq 'mode' ? ' mode change' : ' this hunk'),
+		  ($hunk[$ix]{TYPE} eq 'mode' ? ' mode change' :
+		   $hunk[$ix]{TYPE} eq 'deletion' ? ' deletion' :
+		   ' this hunk'),
 		  $patch_mode_flavour{TARGET},
 		  " [y,n,q,a,d,/$other,?]? ";
 		my $line = prompt_single_character;
diff --git a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
index 687bd7ab53..d86bc81abf 100755
--- a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
@@ -228,4 +228,21 @@ test_expect_success 'add first line works' '
 	test_cmp expected diff
 '
 
+cat >expected <<EOF
+diff --git a/empty b/empty
+deleted file mode 100644
+index e69de29..0000000
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'deleting an empty file' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	> empty &&
+	git add empty &&
+	git commit -m empty &&
+	rm empty &&
+	echo y | git add -p empty &&
+	git diff --cached >diff &&
+	test_cmp expected diff
+'
+
 test_done