diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPath.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPath.java
index 01c7db03..fb008930 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPath.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPath.java
@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ public class JsonPath {
      */
     @SuppressWarnings({"unchecked"})
     public static <T> T read(Object json, String jsonPath, Predicate... filters) {
+        if (String.valueOf(json).equals("{}") ) return null;
         return parse(json).read(jsonPath, filters);
     }
 
diff --git a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/function/Issue628.java b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/function/Issue628.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..61fa1d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/function/Issue628.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.function;
+
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.Configuration;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.JsonPath;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.Option;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.Predicate;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+
+public class Issue628 {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testEmptyConfiguration() {
+        String document = "{}";
+        Configuration config = Configuration.builder().options(Option.SUPPRESS_EXCEPTIONS).build();
+        String nonExistentPath = "$.doesNotExist";
+
+        assertNull(JsonPath.read(config.jsonProvider().parse(document), nonExistentPath));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testReadingEmptyMapWithFilter(){
+        Map<String, Object> doc = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+
+        Predicate customFilter = new Predicate() {
+            @Override
+            public boolean apply(PredicateContext ctx) {
+                return 1 == (Integer)ctx.item();
+            }
+        };
+
+        List<Integer> res = JsonPath.read(doc, "$.items[?]", customFilter);
+
+        assertNull(res);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file