diff --git a/src/transports/smart_pkt.c b/src/transports/smart_pkt.c
index 2297cc94f..e05196cd8 100644
--- a/src/transports/smart_pkt.c
+++ b/src/transports/smart_pkt.c
@@ -427,15 +427,23 @@ int git_pkt_parse_line(
 	if (bufflen > 0 && bufflen < (size_t)len)
 		return GIT_EBUFS;
 
+	/*
+	 * The length has to be exactly 0 in case of a flush
+	 * packet or greater than PKT_LEN_SIZE, as the decoded
+	 * length includes its own encoded length of four bytes.
+	 */
+	if (len != 0 && len < PKT_LEN_SIZE)
+		return GIT_ERROR;
+
 	line += PKT_LEN_SIZE;
 	/*
-	 * TODO: How do we deal with empty lines? Try again? with the next
-	 * line?
+	 * The Git protocol does not specify empty lines as part
+	 * of the protocol. Not knowing what to do with an empty
+	 * line, we should return an error upon hitting one.
 	 */
 	if (len == PKT_LEN_SIZE) {
-		*head = NULL;
-		*out = line;
-		return 0;
+		giterr_set_str(GITERR_NET, "Invalid empty packet");
+		return GIT_ERROR;
 	}
 
 	if (len == 0) { /* Flush pkt */
diff --git a/src/transports/smart_protocol.c b/src/transports/smart_protocol.c
index 53c0b089e..db6a8b9c8 100644
--- a/src/transports/smart_protocol.c
+++ b/src/transports/smart_protocol.c
@@ -763,14 +763,6 @@ static int add_push_report_sideband_pkt(git_push *push, git_pkt_data *data_pkt,
 		line_len -= (line_end - line);
 		line = line_end;
 
-		/* When a valid packet with no content has been
-		 * read, git_pkt_parse_line does not report an
-		 * error, but the pkt pointer has not been set.
-		 * Handle this by skipping over empty packets.
-		 */
-		if (pkt == NULL)
-			continue;
-
 		error = add_push_report_pkt(push, pkt);
 
 		git_pkt_free(pkt);
@@ -825,9 +817,6 @@ static int parse_report(transport_smart *transport, git_push *push)
 
 		error = 0;
 
-		if (pkt == NULL)
-			continue;
-
 		switch (pkt->type) {
 			case GIT_PKT_DATA:
 				/* This is a sideband packet which contains other packets */