diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/core/CompletionFieldMapper.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/core/CompletionFieldMapper.java
index 83b8781af9e..738ea401e7d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/core/CompletionFieldMapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/core/CompletionFieldMapper.java
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@ public class CompletionFieldMapper extends AbstractFieldMapper<String> {
         payload = payload == null ? EMPTY : payload;
         if (surfaceForm == null) { // no surface form use the input
             for (String input : inputs) {
+                if (input.length() == 0) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 BytesRef suggestPayload = analyzingSuggestLookupProvider.buildPayload(new BytesRef(
                         input), weight, payload);
                 context.doc().add(getCompletionField(ctx, input, suggestPayload));
@@ -377,6 +380,9 @@ public class CompletionFieldMapper extends AbstractFieldMapper<String> {
             BytesRef suggestPayload = analyzingSuggestLookupProvider.buildPayload(new BytesRef(
                     surfaceForm), weight, payload);
             for (String input : inputs) {
+                if (input.length() == 0) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 context.doc().add(getCompletionField(ctx, input, suggestPayload));
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/ContextSuggestSearchTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/ContextSuggestSearchTests.java
index a1f95a229cd..95bbcbba03f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/ContextSuggestSearchTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/ContextSuggestSearchTests.java
@@ -435,6 +435,34 @@ public class ContextSuggestSearchTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
 
     }
 
+    @Test // see issue #10987
+    public void testEmptySuggestion() throws Exception {
+        String mapping = jsonBuilder()
+                .startObject()
+                .startObject(TYPE)
+                .startObject("properties")
+                .startObject(FIELD)
+                .field("type", "completion")
+                .startObject("context")
+                .startObject("type_context")
+                .field("path", "_type")
+                .field("type", "category")
+                .endObject()
+                .endObject()
+                .endObject()
+                .endObject()
+                .endObject()
+                .endObject()
+                .string();
+
+        assertAcked(client().admin().indices().prepareCreate(INDEX).addMapping(TYPE, mapping).get());
+        ensureGreen();
+
+        client().prepareIndex(INDEX, TYPE, "1").setSource(FIELD, "")
+                .setRefresh(true).get();
+
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testMultiValueField() throws Exception {
         assertAcked(prepareCreate(INDEX).addMapping(TYPE, createMapping(TYPE, ContextBuilder.reference("st", "category"))));