diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 6e527b996dd..db08fe6aae8 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2013-09-11  Stefan Monnier  <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
+
+	* insdel.c (insert_from_buffer_1): Don't mark buffer as modified when
+	insert-buffer-substring an empty string.
+
 2013-09-11  Paul Eggert  <eggert@cs.ucla.edu>
 
 	* xdisp.c (Ftool_bar_lines_needed): Declare as 'const' if ifdeffed out,
diff --git a/src/insdel.c b/src/insdel.c
index f746fd34330..ebd096a2927 100644
--- a/src/insdel.c
+++ b/src/insdel.c
@@ -1057,6 +1057,9 @@ insert_from_buffer_1 (struct buffer *buf,
   ptrdiff_t outgoing_nbytes = incoming_nbytes;
   INTERVAL intervals;
 
+  if (nchars == 0)
+    return;
+
   /* Make OUTGOING_NBYTES describe the text
      as it will be inserted in this buffer.  */