diff --git a/Makefile.util.def b/Makefile.util.def
index 0afbda269..cbac10c8c 100644
--- a/Makefile.util.def
+++ b/Makefile.util.def
@@ -699,6 +699,12 @@ script = {
   common = tests/grub_script_not.in;
 };
 
+script = {
+  testcase;
+  name = grub_script_no_commands;
+  common = tests/grub_script_no_commands.in;
+};
+
 script = {
   testcase;
   name = partmap_test;
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 760a235e1..d3c8c09fe 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ grub2 (2.00-15) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Install reportbug presubj and script files in all binary packages.
   * Make grub-yeeloong.postinst explicitly install with
     --target=mipsel-loongson (closes: #708204).
+  * Make grub-script-check fail on scripts containing no commands (closes:
+    #713886).
 
   [ Debconf translations ]
   * Hungarian (Dr. Nagy Elemér Károly).
diff --git a/debian/patches/script_check_no_commands.patch b/debian/patches/script_check_no_commands.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..789ce8337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/script_check_no_commands.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+Description: Guard against scripts containing no commands
+ Make grub-script-check fail on scripts containing no commands, to guard
+ against corrupted grub-mkconfig setups that produce no useful output.
+Origin: backport, http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~vcs-imports/grub/grub2-bzr/revision/5044
+Author: Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org>
+Bug-Debian: http://bugs.debian.org/713886
+Forwarded: not-needed
+Last-Update: 2013-06-25
+
+Index: b/Makefile.util.def
+===================================================================
+--- a/Makefile.util.def
++++ b/Makefile.util.def
+@@ -701,6 +701,12 @@
+ 
+ script = {
+   testcase;
++  name = grub_script_no_commands;
++  common = tests/grub_script_no_commands.in;
++};
++
++script = {
++  testcase;
+   name = partmap_test;
+   common = tests/partmap_test.in;
+ };
+Index: b/tests/grub_script_no_commands.in
+===================================================================
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/tests/grub_script_no_commands.in
+@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
++#! /bin/sh
++set -e
++
++# grub-script-check refuses to pass a file with no commands; this usually
++# indicates a bug in the code generating that file.
++
++@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
++
++EOF
++
++@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
++# comment
++EOF
++
++@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
++# comment 1
++# comment 2
++
++EOF
++
++exit 0
+Index: b/util/grub-script-check.c
+===================================================================
+--- a/util/grub-script-check.c
++++ b/util/grub-script-check.c
+@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
+   int lineno = 0;
+   FILE *file = 0;
+   struct arguments arguments;
+-  int found_input = 0;
++  int found_input = 0, found_cmd = 0;
+   struct grub_script *script = NULL;
+ 
+   auto grub_err_t get_config_line (char **line, int cont);
+@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@
+       script = grub_script_parse (input, get_config_line);
+       if (script)
+ 	{
++	  if (script->cmd)
++	    found_cmd = 1;
+ 	  grub_script_execute (script);
+ 	  grub_script_free (script);
+ 	}
+@@ -191,6 +193,12 @@
+       fprintf (stderr, _("Syntax error at line %u\n"), lineno);
+       return 1;
+     }
++  if (! found_cmd)
++    {
++      fprintf (stderr, _("Script contains no commands and will do nothing\n"),
++	       ctx.arguments.filename);
++      return 1;
++    }
+ 
+   return 0;
+ }
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index a6188ccc1..774634b4e 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -46,3 +46,4 @@ install_signed.patch
 install_bios_setup_path.patch
 os_prober_efi.patch
 acpihalt_improvements.patch
+script_check_no_commands.patch
diff --git a/tests/grub_script_no_commands.in b/tests/grub_script_no_commands.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c31d267e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/grub_script_no_commands.in
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+set -e
+
+# grub-script-check refuses to pass a file with no commands; this usually
+# indicates a bug in the code generating that file.
+
+@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
+
+EOF
+
+@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
+# comment
+EOF
+
+@builddir@/grub-script-check <<EOF && exit 1
+# comment 1
+# comment 2
+
+EOF
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/util/grub-script-check.c b/util/grub-script-check.c
index 73d51f0e4..12aa96148 100644
--- a/util/grub-script-check.c
+++ b/util/grub-script-check.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   int lineno = 0;
   FILE *file = 0;
   struct arguments arguments;
-  int found_input = 0;
+  int found_input = 0, found_cmd = 0;
   struct grub_script *script = NULL;
 
   auto grub_err_t get_config_line (char **line, int cont);
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       script = grub_script_parse (input, get_config_line);
       if (script)
 	{
+	  if (script->cmd)
+	    found_cmd = 1;
 	  grub_script_execute (script);
 	  grub_script_free (script);
 	}
@@ -191,6 +193,12 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       fprintf (stderr, _("Syntax error at line %u\n"), lineno);
       return 1;
     }
+  if (! found_cmd)
+    {
+      fprintf (stderr, _("Script contains no commands and will do nothing\n"),
+	       ctx.arguments.filename);
+      return 1;
+    }
 
   return 0;
 }