diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 238c3bc7..17c4a34e 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ static ParsedLines parse_lines(StringView data)
         pos = eol + 1;
     }
 
+    if (res.lines.empty())
+        res.lines.emplace_back(StringData::create({"\n"}));
+
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -79,9 +82,6 @@ Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags, StringView data,
 {
     ParsedLines parsed_lines = parse_lines(data);
 
-    if (parsed_lines.lines.empty())
-        parsed_lines.lines.emplace_back(StringData::create({"\n"}));
-
     #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
     for (auto& line : parsed_lines.lines)
         kak_assert(not (line->length == 0) and
@@ -245,9 +245,6 @@ void Buffer::reload(StringView data, timespec fs_timestamp)
 {
     ParsedLines parsed_lines = parse_lines(data);
 
-    if (parsed_lines.lines.empty())
-        parsed_lines.lines.emplace_back(StringData::create({"\n"}));
-
     const bool record_undo = not (m_flags & Flags::NoUndo);
 
     commit_undo_group();