diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/Automata.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/Automata.java
index 294700b8499..deb73752d2c 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/Automata.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/Automata.java
@@ -85,7 +85,22 @@ final public class Automata {
     a.finishState();
     return a;
   }
-  
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a new (deterministic) automaton that accepts all binary terms except
+   * the empty string.
+   */
+  public static Automaton makeNonEmptyBinary() {
+    Automaton a = new Automaton();
+    int s1 = a.createState();
+    int s2 = a.createState();
+    a.setAccept(s2, true);
+    a.addTransition(s1, s2, 0, 255);
+    a.addTransition(s2, s2, 0, 255);
+    a.finishState();
+    return a;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns a new (deterministic) automaton that accepts any single codepoint.
    */
@@ -254,8 +269,12 @@ final public class Automata {
       cmp = min.compareTo(max);
     } else {
       cmp = -1;
-      if (min.length == 0 && minInclusive) {
-        return makeAnyBinary();
+      if (min.length == 0) {
+        if (minInclusive) {
+          return makeAnyBinary();
+        } else {
+          return makeNonEmptyBinary();
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -266,7 +285,7 @@ final public class Automata {
         return makeBinary(min);
       }
     } else if (cmp > 0) {
-      // max > min
+      // max < min
       return makeEmpty();
     }
 
diff --git a/lucene/core/src/test/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/TestAutomaton.java b/lucene/core/src/test/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/TestAutomaton.java
index e4a09dceff2..2f521d71254 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/test/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/TestAutomaton.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/test/org/apache/lucene/util/automaton/TestAutomaton.java
@@ -1331,6 +1331,23 @@ public class TestAutomaton extends LuceneTestCase {
     assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("baq")));
     assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bara")));
   }
+  
+  public void testMakeBinaryIntervalLowerBoundEmptyString() throws Exception {
+    Automaton a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef(""), true, new BytesRef("bar"), true);
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("a")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bar")));
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bara")));
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("baz")));
+    
+    
+    a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef(""), false, new BytesRef("bar"), true);
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("a")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bar")));
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bara")));
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("baz")));
+  }
 
   public void testMakeBinaryIntervalEqual() throws Exception {
     Automaton a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef("bar"), true, new BytesRef("bar"), true);
@@ -1352,6 +1369,12 @@ public class TestAutomaton extends LuceneTestCase {
     assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("barfoop")));
   }
 
+  public void testMakeBinaryExceptEmpty() throws Exception {
+    Automaton a = Automata.makeNonEmptyBinary();
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef(TestUtil.randomRealisticUnicodeString(random(), 1, 10))));
+  }
+
   public void testMakeBinaryIntervalOpenMax() throws Exception {
     Automaton a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef("bar"), true, null, true);
     assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("bam")));
@@ -1366,6 +1389,19 @@ public class TestAutomaton extends LuceneTestCase {
     assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("zzz")));
   }
 
+  public void testMakeBinaryIntervalOpenMaxZeroLengthMin() throws Exception {
+    // when including min, automaton should accept "a"
+    Automaton a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef(""), true, null, true);
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("a")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("aaaaaa")));
+    // excluding min should still accept "a"
+    a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(new BytesRef(""), false, null, true);
+    assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("a")));
+    assertTrue(Operations.run(a, intsRef("aaaaaa")));
+  }
+
   public void testMakeBinaryIntervalOpenMin() throws Exception {
     Automaton a = Automata.makeBinaryInterval(null, true, new BytesRef("foo"), true);
     assertFalse(Operations.run(a, intsRef("foz")));