diff --git a/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb b/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
index c47f639cc4..df04646f3c 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ def load_options
     rescue Psych::SyntaxError
     end
 
+    return RDoc::Options.new if options == false # Allow empty file.
+
     raise RDoc::Error, "#{options_file} is not a valid rdoc options file" unless
       RDoc::Options === options or Hash === options
 
diff --git a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_rdoc.rb b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_rdoc.rb
index b54cec5538..3910dd4656 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_rdoc.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_rdoc.rb
@@ -133,6 +133,17 @@ def test_load_options_invalid
     end
   end
 
+  def test_load_options_empty_file
+    temp_dir do
+      File.open '.rdoc_options', 'w' do |io|
+      end
+
+      options = @rdoc.load_options
+
+      assert_equal 'rdoc', options.markup
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_load_options_partial_override
     temp_dir do
       File.open '.rdoc_options', 'w' do |io|