diff --git a/src/spellfile.c b/src/spellfile.c
index 6188aaf..f6d7a64 100644
--- a/src/spellfile.c
+++ b/src/spellfile.c
@@ -4277,7 +4277,7 @@
 		    flags |= WF_REGION;
 
 		    l = *p - '0';
-		    if (l > spin->si_region_count)
+		    if (l == 0 || l > spin->si_region_count)
 		    {
 			smsg((char_u *)_("Invalid region nr in %s line %d: %s"),
 							  fname, lnum, p);
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_spell.vim b/src/testdir/test_spell.vim
index e4c236c..54209fe 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_spell.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_spell.vim
@@ -271,6 +271,15 @@
   call assert_equal("elekwint", SecondSpellWord())
 endfunc
 
+func Test_region_error()
+  messages clear
+  call writefile(["/regions=usgbnz", "elequint/0"], "Xtest.latin1.add")
+  mkspell! Xtest.latin1.add.spl Xtest.latin1.add
+  call assert_match('Invalid region nr in Xtest.latin1.add line 2: 0', execute('messages'))
+  call delete('Xtest.latin1.add')
+  call delete('Xtest.latin1.add.spl')
+endfunc
+
 " Check using z= in new buffer (crash fixed by patch 7.4a.028).
 func Test_zeq_crash()
   new
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 2b8fda7..6ab4e75 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -762,6 +762,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1225,
+/**/
     1224,
 /**/
     1223,