diff --git a/src/IntlFormatter.php b/src/IntlFormatter.php
index 07c37b6..8f3dfca 100644
--- a/src/IntlFormatter.php
+++ b/src/IntlFormatter.php
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ public function format($locale, $string, array $tokens_values)
 
         try {
             $formatter = new MessageFormatter($locale, $string);
+            if (! $formatter) {
+                $this->throwCannotInstantiateFormatter();
+            }
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
             $this->throwCannotInstantiateFormatter();
         }
diff --git a/tests/IntlFormatterTest.php b/tests/IntlFormatterTest.php
index a0da3e2..32db820 100644
--- a/tests/IntlFormatterTest.php
+++ b/tests/IntlFormatterTest.php
@@ -168,6 +168,15 @@ public function testIssue6($tokens_values, $expect)
         $this->assertSame($expect, $actual);
     }
 
+    public function testEmptyStringThrowsException()
+    {
+        $locale = 'en_US';
+        $string = '';
+        $formatter = $this->newFormatter();
+        $this->setExpectedException('Aura\Intl\Exception\CannotInstantiateFormatter');
+        $actual = $formatter->format($locale, $string, []);
+    }
+
     public function provide_testIssue6()
     {
         return [