diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index 432837a674..e311013bc4 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -1292,8 +1292,15 @@ static char *git_header_name(int p_value,
 				return NULL; /* no postimage name */
 			second = skip_tree_prefix(p_value, name + len + 1,
 						  line_len - (len + 1));
+			/*
+			 * If we are at the SP at the end of a directory,
+			 * skip_tree_prefix() may return NULL as that makes
+			 * it appears as if we have an absolute path.
+			 * Keep going to find another SP.
+			 */
 			if (!second)
-				return NULL;
+				continue;
+
 			/*
 			 * Does len bytes starting at "name" and "second"
 			 * (that are separated by one HT or SP we just
diff --git a/t/t4126-apply-empty.sh b/t/t4126-apply-empty.sh
index ece9fae207..eaf0c5304a 100755
--- a/t/t4126-apply-empty.sh
+++ b/t/t4126-apply-empty.sh
@@ -66,4 +66,26 @@ test_expect_success 'apply --index create' '
 	git diff --exit-code
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'apply with no-contents and a funny pathname' '
+	mkdir "funny " &&
+	>"funny /empty" &&
+	git add "funny /empty" &&
+	git diff HEAD "funny /" >sample.patch &&
+	git diff -R HEAD "funny /" >elpmas.patch &&
+	git reset --hard &&
+	rm -fr "funny " &&
+
+	git apply --stat --check --apply sample.patch &&
+	test_must_be_empty "funny /empty" &&
+
+	git apply --stat --check --apply elpmas.patch &&
+	test_path_is_missing "funny /empty" &&
+
+	git apply -R --stat --check --apply elpmas.patch &&
+	test_must_be_empty "funny /empty" &&
+
+	git apply -R --stat --check --apply sample.patch &&
+	test_path_is_missing "funny /empty"
+'
+
 test_done