diff --git a/Lib/macpath.py b/Lib/macpath.py
--- a/Lib/macpath.py
+++ b/Lib/macpath.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def join(s, *p):
     colon = _get_colon(s)
     path = s
     for t in p:
-        if (not s) or isabs(t):
+        if (not path) or isabs(t):
             path = t
             continue
         if t[:1] == colon:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_macpath.py b/Lib/test/test_macpath.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_macpath.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_macpath.py
@@ -49,13 +49,17 @@ class MacPathTestCase(unittest.TestCase)
     def test_join(self):
         join = macpath.join
         self.assertEqual(join('a', 'b'), ':a:b')
+        self.assertEqual(join('a', ''), ':a:')
         self.assertEqual(join('', 'a:b'), 'a:b')
+        self.assertEqual(join('', 'a', 'b'), ':a:b')
         self.assertEqual(join('a:b', 'c'), 'a:b:c')
         self.assertEqual(join('a:b', ':c'), 'a:b:c')
         self.assertEqual(join('a', ':b', ':c'), ':a:b:c')
 
         self.assertEqual(join(b'a', b'b'), b':a:b')
+        self.assertEqual(join(b'a', b''), b':a:')
         self.assertEqual(join(b'', b'a:b'), b'a:b')
+        self.assertEqual(join(b'', b'a', b'b'), b':a:b')
         self.assertEqual(join(b'a:b', b'c'), b'a:b:c')
         self.assertEqual(join(b'a:b', b':c'), b'a:b:c')
         self.assertEqual(join(b'a', b':b', b':c'), b':a:b:c')