diff --git a/src/helpers/helpers.canvas.js b/src/helpers/helpers.canvas.js
index e3344e6dd41..0472bddb31b 100644
--- a/src/helpers/helpers.canvas.js
+++ b/src/helpers/helpers.canvas.js
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ export function drawPoint(ctx, options, x, y) {
 export function _isPointInArea(point, area, margin) {
   margin = margin || 0.5; // margin - default is to match rounded decimals
 
-  return point.x > area.left - margin && point.x < area.right + margin &&
+  return point && point.x > area.left - margin && point.x < area.right + margin &&
 		point.y > area.top - margin && point.y < area.bottom + margin;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/specs/controller.line.tests.js b/test/specs/controller.line.tests.js
index df0d7a14f73..93f857832f4 100644
--- a/test/specs/controller.line.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/controller.line.tests.js
@@ -42,6 +42,23 @@ describe('Chart.controllers.line', function() {
     expect(meta.yAxisID).toBe('y');
   });
 
+  it('Should not throw with empty dataset when tension is non-zero', function() {
+    // https://github.com/chartjs/Chart.js/issues/8676
+    function createChart() {
+      return window.acquireChart({
+        type: 'line',
+        data: {
+          datasets: [{
+            data: [],
+            tension: 0.5
+          }],
+          labels: []
+        },
+      });
+    }
+    expect(createChart).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
   it('Should create line elements and point elements for each data item during initialization', function() {
     var chart = window.acquireChart({
       type: 'line',