diff -r 49ae53150ee0 Lib/test/test_socket.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_socket.py	Mon Jan 13 23:56:30 2014 -0500
+++ b/Lib/test/test_socket.py	Tue Jan 14 13:12:49 2014 +0800
@@ -4691,6 +4691,13 @@
     def _testRecvFromIntoSmallBuffer(self):
         self.serv_conn.send(MSG*2048)
 
+    def testRecvFromIntoEmptyBuffer(self):
+        buf = bytearray()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.cli_conn.recvfrom_into, buf, 1024)
+
+    _testRecvFromIntoEmptyBuffer = _testRecvFromIntoArray
+
 
 TIPC_STYPE = 2000
 TIPC_LOWER = 200
diff -r 49ae53150ee0 Modules/socketmodule.c
--- a/Modules/socketmodule.c	Mon Jan 13 23:56:30 2014 -0500
+++ b/Modules/socketmodule.c	Tue Jan 14 13:12:49 2014 +0800
@@ -2864,7 +2864,7 @@
         return NULL;
     buf = pbuf.buf;
     buflen = pbuf.len;
-    assert(buf != 0 && buflen > 0);
+    assert(buf != 0);
 
     if (recvlen < 0) {
         PyBuffer_Release(&pbuf);
@@ -2872,6 +2872,12 @@
                         "negative buffersize in recvfrom_into");
         return NULL;
     }
+    if (buflen == 0) {
+        PyBuffer_Release(&pbuf);
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+                        "the length of the buffer must be greater than 0");
+        return NULL;
+    }
     if (recvlen == 0) {
         /* If nbytes was not specified, use the buffer's length */
         recvlen = buflen;