diff --git a/commit-patch b/commit-patch
index 31e9f76..8b3f222 100755
--- a/commit-patch
+++ b/commit-patch
@@ -223,9 +223,11 @@ my ($out, $working_patch, $non_committed_patch);
 run([split(/ /,$vc{add}),    @files],                                               '>', \$out, '2>', \$err);# Expect these 2 to fail when
 run([split(/ /,$vc{remove}), @files],                                               '>', \$out, '2>', \$err);# there are no new files.
 run([split(/ /,$vc{diff}),   @files], '>', \$working_patch,                                     '2>', \$err);# CVS diff dies. Sigh. or die "$err\n";
-run(["interdiff", $vc{patcharg}, $patch, '-'], '<', \$working_patch,
-                                               '>', \$non_committed_patch,                      '2>', \$err) or die "$err\n";
-run(["patch", $vc{patcharg}, "-R"], '<', \$working_patch,                           '>', \$out, '2>', \$err) or die "$out\n$err\n";
+unless ($working_patch =~ /^\s*$/s) {
+  run(["interdiff", $vc{patcharg}, $patch, '-'], '<', \$working_patch,
+                                                 '>', \$non_committed_patch,                    '2>', \$err) or die "$err\n";
+  run(["patch", $vc{patcharg}, "-R"], '<', \$working_patch,                         '>', \$out, '2>', \$err) or die "$out\n$err\n";
+}
 run(["patch", $vc{patcharg}], '<', $patch,                                          '>', \$out, '2>', \$err) or die "$out\n$err\n";
 # Don't capture stdout or stderr because it can be interactive (cough cough darcs)
 run([split(/ /,$vc_commit), @message_opt,                                               @files],debug => 0) or die "commit failed.\n";