diff --git a/src/ex_cmds2.c b/src/ex_cmds2.c
index 5ecb1f3..f8d35dc 100644
--- a/src/ex_cmds2.c
+++ b/src/ex_cmds2.c
@@ -2832,8 +2832,15 @@
 	if (eap->line2 > ARGCOUNT)
 	    eap->line2 = ARGCOUNT;
 	n = eap->line2 - eap->line1 + 1;
-	if (*eap->arg != NUL || n <= 0)
+	if (*eap->arg != NUL)
+	    /* Can't have both a range and an argument. */
 	    EMSG(_(e_invarg));
+	else if (n <= 0)
+	{
+	    /* Don't give an error for ":%argdel" if the list is empty. */
+	    if (eap->line1 != 1 || eap->line2 != 0)
+		EMSG(_(e_invrange));
+	}
 	else
 	{
 	    for (i = eap->line1; i <= eap->line2; ++i)
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_arglist.vim b/src/testdir/test_arglist.vim
index 0caead8..d18035b 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_arglist.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_arglist.vim
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
   call assert_equal(2, argidx())
   %argdelete
   call assert_equal(0, argidx())
+  " doing it again doesn't result in an error
+  %argdelete
+  call assert_equal(0, argidx())
+  call assert_fails('2argdelete', 'E16:')
 
   args a b c
   call assert_equal(0, argidx())
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 811a3d6..277f2d9 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -765,6 +765,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    439,
+/**/
     438,
 /**/
     437,