diff --git a/cpp/ycm/IdentifierCompleter.cpp b/cpp/ycm/IdentifierCompleter.cpp
index 1bc9ca97..a0b44908 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/IdentifierCompleter.cpp
+++ b/cpp/ycm/IdentifierCompleter.cpp
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ void IdentifierCompleter::ResultsForQueryAndType(
     std::vector< Result > &results ) const
 {
   FiletypeMap::const_iterator it = filetype_map_.find( filetype );
-  if ( it == filetype_map_.end() )
+  if ( it == filetype_map_.end() || query.empty() )
     return;
 
   Bitset query_bitset = LetterBitsetFromString( query );
diff --git a/cpp/ycm/tests/IdentifierCompleter_test.cpp b/cpp/ycm/tests/IdentifierCompleter_test.cpp
index efdfad89..37371ee6 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/tests/IdentifierCompleter_test.cpp
+++ b/cpp/ycm/tests/IdentifierCompleter_test.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ std::vector< std::string > Candidates( const std::string &a,
 } // unnamed namespace
 
 
+// This differs from what we expect from the ClangCompleter. That one should
+// return results for an empty query.
+TEST( IdentifierCompleterTest, EmptyQueryNoResults )
+{
+	EXPECT_THAT( IdentifierCompleter( Candidates(
+               "foobar" ) ).CandidatesForQuery( "" ),
+	             ElementsAre() );
+}
+
+
 TEST( IdentifierCompleterTest, OneCandidate )
 {
 	EXPECT_THAT( IdentifierCompleter( Candidates(