diff --git a/src/EmailAddress.php b/src/EmailAddress.php
index 7f06c2267..780581d73 100644
--- a/src/EmailAddress.php
+++ b/src/EmailAddress.php
@@ -547,6 +547,10 @@ protected function idnToAscii($email)
      */
     protected function idnToUtf8($email)
     {
+        if (strlen($email) == 0) {
+            return $email;
+        }
+            
         if (extension_loaded('intl')) {
             // The documentation does not clarify what kind of failure
             // can happen in idn_to_utf8. One can assume if the source