diff --git a/src/testdir/test_tabline.vim b/src/testdir/test_tabline.vim
index eff9508..6cfed7d 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_tabline.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_tabline.vim
@@ -112,4 +112,27 @@
   %bw!
 endfunc
 
+function EmptyTabname()
+  return ""
+endfunction
+
+function MakeTabLine() abort
+  let titles = map(range(1, tabpagenr('$')), '"%( %" . v:val . "T%{EmptyTabname()}%T %)"')
+  let sep = 'あ'
+  let tabpages = join(titles, sep)
+  return tabpages .. sep .. '%=%999X X'
+endfunction
+
+func Test_tabline_empty_group()
+  " this was reading invalid memory
+  set tabline=%!MakeTabLine()
+  tabnew
+  redraw!
+
+  tabclose
+  set tabline=
+endfunc
+
+
+
 " vim: shiftwidth=2 sts=2 expandtab