diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
index d402a43..0b55946 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.GitUtil;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.PushOneCommit;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestAccount;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestProjectInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.request.RequestScopeOperations;
@@ -115,6 +116,23 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  @TestProjectInput(createEmptyCommit = false)
+  public void canUploadConfigWithoutIssuesInInitialCommit() throws Exception {
+    CodeOwnerConfig.Key codeOwnerConfigKey = createCodeOwnerConfigKey("/");
+
+    // Create a code owner config without issues.
+    PushOneCommit.Result r =
+        createChange(
+            "Add code owners",
+            codeOwnerConfigOperations.codeOwnerConfig(codeOwnerConfigKey).getJGitFilePath(),
+            format(
+                CodeOwnerConfig.builder(codeOwnerConfigKey, TEST_REVISION)
+                    .addCodeOwnerSet(CodeOwnerSet.createWithoutPathExpressions(admin.email()))
+                    .build()));
+    assertOkWithHints(r, "code owner config files validated, no issues found");
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void canUploadConfigWhichAssignsCodeOwnershipToAllUsers() throws Exception {
     testCanUploadConfigWhichAssignsCodeOwnershipToAllUsers();
   }