diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/table/index.js b/packages/block-library/src/table/index.js
index 6cf466f50dc36a..78bc014bd80b04 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/table/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/table/index.js
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ import edit from './edit';
 
 const tableContentPasteSchema = {
 	tr: {
+		allowEmpty: true,
 		children: {
 			th: {
+				allowEmpty: true,
 				children: getPhrasingContentSchema(),
 			},
 			td: {
+				allowEmpty: true,
 				children: getPhrasingContentSchema(),
 			},
 		},
@@ -33,12 +36,15 @@ const tablePasteSchema = {
 	table: {
 		children: {
 			thead: {
+				allowEmpty: true,
 				children: tableContentPasteSchema,
 			},
 			tfoot: {
+				allowEmpty: true,
 				children: tableContentPasteSchema,
 			},
 			tbody: {
+				allowEmpty: true,
 				children: tableContentPasteSchema,
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/raw-handling/utils.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/raw-handling/utils.js
index 4395c82c429dca..896bb6b8d4a5e0 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/raw-handling/utils.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/raw-handling/utils.js
@@ -185,11 +185,17 @@ function cleanNodeList( nodeList, doc, schema, inline ) {
 			( ! schema[ tag ].isMatch || schema[ tag ].isMatch( node ) )
 		) {
 			if ( node.nodeType === ELEMENT_NODE ) {
-				const { attributes = [], classes = [], children, require = [] } = schema[ tag ];
+				const {
+					attributes = [],
+					classes = [],
+					children,
+					require = [],
+					allowEmpty,
+				} = schema[ tag ];
 
 				// If the node is empty and it's supposed to have children,
 				// remove the node.
-				if ( isEmpty( node ) && children ) {
+				if ( children && ! allowEmpty && isEmpty( node ) ) {
 					remove( node );
 					return;
 				}
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-in.txt b/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-in.txt
index c9856084622470..b636a781438003 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-in.txt
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-in.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ First Header | Second Header
 Content from cell 1 | Content from cell 2
 Content in the first column | Content in the second column
 
+|   |   |
+|---|---|
+|   | Table with empty cells. |
+
 ## Quote
 
 > First
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-out.html b/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-out.html
index cf83cf40050c4a..ba9a33b7172cc2 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-out.html
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/markdown-out.html
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ <h2>Table</h2>
 <table class="wp-block-table"><thead><tr><th>First Header</th><th>Second Header</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Content from cell 1</td><td>Content from cell 2</td></tr><tr><td>Content in the first column</td><td>Content in the second column</td></tr></tbody></table>
 <!-- /wp:table -->
 
+<!-- wp:table -->
+<table class="wp-block-table"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Table with empty cells.</td></tr></tbody></table>
+<!-- /wp:table -->
+
 <!-- wp:heading -->
 <h2>Quote</h2>
 <!-- /wp:heading -->