diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index 5370e7c4f027d..d626b20e3eadf 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -12227,6 +12227,11 @@ namespace ts {
 
             checkExpression(node.expression);
             checkSourceElement(node.thenStatement);
+
+            if (node.thenStatement.kind === SyntaxKind.EmptyStatement) {
+                error(node.thenStatement, Diagnostics.The_body_of_an_if_statement_cannot_be_the_empty_statement);
+            }
+
             checkSourceElement(node.elseStatement);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
index da83628c706ea..4b4b3ab204d25 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
@@ -799,7 +799,11 @@
     "'=' can only be used in an object literal property inside a destructuring assignment.": {
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 1312
-    },    
+    },
+    "The body of an 'if' statement cannot be the empty statement.": {
+        "category": "Error",
+        "code": 1313
+    },
     "Duplicate identifier '{0}'.": {
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 2300
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a4f9126186577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts(1,6): error TS1313: The body of an 'if' statement cannot be the empty statement.
+tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts(4,19): error TS1313: The body of an 'if' statement cannot be the empty statement.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts (2 errors) ====
+    if(1);
+         ~
+!!! error TS1313: The body of an 'if' statement cannot be the empty statement.
+    
+    let x = 0;
+    if (true === true); {  
+                      ~
+!!! error TS1313: The body of an 'if' statement cannot be the empty statement.
+        x = 1;
+    }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.js b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c7959d03d57db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWarning.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+//// [emptyThenWarning.ts]
+if(1);
+
+let x = 0;
+if (true === true); {  
+    x = 1;
+}
+
+//// [emptyThenWarning.js]
+if (1)
+    ;
+var x = 0;
+if (true === true)
+    ;
+{
+    x = 1;
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.js b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..107531fe1e38b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+//// [emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts]
+let a = 4;
+
+if(a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3) {
+}
+else {
+    let message = "Ooops";
+}
+
+//// [emptyThenWithoutWarning.js]
+var a = 4;
+if (a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3) {
+}
+else {
+    var message = "Ooops";
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d707e7bc89cb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts ===
+let a = 4;
+>a : Symbol(a, Decl(emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts, 0, 3))
+
+if(a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3) {
+>a : Symbol(a, Decl(emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts, 0, 3))
+>a : Symbol(a, Decl(emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts, 0, 3))
+>a : Symbol(a, Decl(emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts, 0, 3))
+}
+else {
+    let message = "Ooops";
+>message : Symbol(message, Decl(emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts, 5, 7))
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.types b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.types
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2dca405966931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/emptyThenWithoutWarning.types
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts ===
+let a = 4;
+>a : number
+>4 : number
+
+if(a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3) {
+>a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3 : boolean
+>a === 1 || a === 2 : boolean
+>a === 1 : boolean
+>a : number
+>1 : number
+>a === 2 : boolean
+>a : number
+>2 : number
+>a === 3 : boolean
+>a : number
+>3 : number
+}
+else {
+    let message = "Ooops";
+>message : string
+>"Ooops" : string
+}
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4811c0b440071
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWarning.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+if(1);
+
+let x = 0;
+if (true === true); {  
+    x = 1;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c35b9b3181d56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/emptyThenWithoutWarning.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+let a = 4;
+
+if(a === 1 || a === 2 || a === 3) {
+}
+else {
+    let message = "Ooops";
+}
\ No newline at end of file