diff --git a/collects/scheme/match/parse-helper.ss b/collects/scheme/match/parse-helper.ss
index acc3e8c6b2..43ce9e91d8 100644
--- a/collects/scheme/match/parse-helper.ss
+++ b/collects/scheme/match/parse-helper.ss
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@
     #f))
 
 ;; (listof pat) syntax -> void
+;; ps is never null
 ;; check that all the ps bind the same set of variables
-(define (all-vars ps stx)
-  (when (null? ps) (error 'bad))
+(define (all-vars ps stx)  
   (let* ([first-vars (bound-vars (car ps))]
          [l (length ps)]
          [ht (make-free-identifier-mapping)])
diff --git a/collects/scheme/match/parse-legacy.ss b/collects/scheme/match/parse-legacy.ss
index c499161f23..b8abf16dc1 100644
--- a/collects/scheme/match/parse-legacy.ss
+++ b/collects/scheme/match/parse-legacy.ss
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@
       "This expander only works with the standard match syntax")]
     [(and p ...)
      (make-And (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ...))))]
-    [(or p ...)
-     (let ([ps (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ...)))])
+    [(or)
+     (make-Not (make-Dummy stx))]
+    [(or p ps ...)
+     (let ([ps (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ps ...)))])
        (all-vars ps stx)
        (make-Or ps))]
     [(not p ...)
diff --git a/collects/scheme/match/parse.ss b/collects/scheme/match/parse.ss
index 468d0d9366..ce58a12fad 100644
--- a/collects/scheme/match/parse.ss
+++ b/collects/scheme/match/parse.ss
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@
      (make-Var #'v)]
     [(and p ...)
      (make-And (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ...))))]
-    [(or p ...)
-     (let ([ps (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ...)))])
+    [(or)
+     (make-Not (make-Dummy stx))]
+    [(or p ps ...)
+     (let ([ps (map parse (syntax->list #'(p ps ...)))])
        (all-vars ps stx)
        (make-Or ps))]
     [(not p ...)
diff --git a/collects/tests/match/examples.ss b/collects/tests/match/examples.ss
index 679f6c09e5..d386c39b93 100644
--- a/collects/tests/match/examples.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/match/examples.ss
@@ -598,4 +598,9 @@
               [(? number?) (z)]))
           (lambda _ 12)))
 
+
+   (comp 4
+	 (match 3
+	  [(or) 1]
+	  [_ 4]))
    ))