diff --git a/lib/tre-parse.c b/lib/tre-parse.c
index fa20655..edf97c7 100644
--- a/lib/tre-parse.c
+++ b/lib/tre-parse.c
@@ -1645,6 +1645,22 @@ tre_parse(tre_parse_ctx_t *ctx)
 		  break;
 		}
 
+#ifdef REG_LITERAL
+	      /* In literal mode the branch above is skipped, so an empty
+		 pattern would otherwise fall through without producing an
+		 atom.  Emit an empty expression, which matches the empty
+		 string. */
+	      if ((ctx->cflags & REG_LITERAL) && ctx->re >= ctx->re_end)
+		{
+		  DPRINT(("tre_parse:	    literal empty: '%.*" STRF "'\n",
+			  REST(ctx->re)));
+		  result = tre_ast_new_literal(ctx->mem, EMPTY, -1);
+		  if (!result)
+		    return REG_ESPACE;
+		  break;
+		}
+#endif /* REG_LITERAL */
+
 	      DPRINT(("tre_parse:     literal: '%.*" STRF "'\n",
 		      REST(ctx->re)));
 	      /* Note that we can't use an tre_isalpha() test here, since there
diff --git a/tests/retest.c b/tests/retest.c
index 16ccb40..e3fe8ef 100644
--- a/tests/retest.c
+++ b/tests/retest.c
@@ -633,6 +633,23 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
   test_exec("xxxxxx", 0, REG_NOMATCH);
 #endif
 
+  /*
+   * Literal (REG_LITERAL) patterns.
+   */
+
+  /* An empty literal pattern matches the empty string. */
+  test_comp("", REG_EXTENDED | REG_LITERAL, 0);
+  test_exec("abc", 0, REG_OK, 0, 0, END);
+  test_exec("", 0, REG_OK, 0, 0, END);
+
+  /* Metacharacters lose their meaning in literal mode. */
+  test_comp("a.c", REG_EXTENDED | REG_LITERAL, 0);
+  test_exec("xa.cy", 0, REG_OK, 1, 4, END);
+  test_exec("abc", 0, REG_NOMATCH);
+  test_comp("(a|b)*", REG_EXTENDED | REG_LITERAL, 0);
+  test_exec("x(a|b)*y", 0, REG_OK, 1, 7, END);
+  test_exec("ababab", 0, REG_NOMATCH);
+
 #ifdef TRE_APPROX
   /*
    * Approximate matching tests.