diff --git a/libraries/src/User/User.php b/libraries/src/User/User.php
index 2ee81435dfb2f..b52c48785811b 100644
--- a/libraries/src/User/User.php
+++ b/libraries/src/User/User.php
@@ -896,7 +896,10 @@ public function load($id)
 		 * user parameters, but for right now we'll leave it how it is.
 		 */
 
-		$this->_params->loadString($table->params);
+		if ($table->params)
+		{
+			$this->_params->loadString($table->params);
+		}
 
 		// Assuming all is well at this point let's bind the data
 		$this->setProperties($table->getProperties());
diff --git a/tests/unit/stubs/database/jos_users.csv b/tests/unit/stubs/database/jos_users.csv
index 331c61840cdd2..b0ccd74444649 100644
--- a/tests/unit/stubs/database/jos_users.csv
+++ b/tests/unit/stubs/database/jos_users.csv
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@
 '44','Manager','manager','manager@example.com','b69eafa62e549e5fa875e127fadc3c83:VapLaQZx00iYDRwgMjgsfyIHgoe01DK8','0','1','2010-02-13 00:34:42','2010-02-13 00:34:42','0','{}','0000-00-00 00:00:00','0'
 '99','Test','test','test@example.com','b69eafa62e549e5fa875e127fadc3c83:VapLaQZx00iYDRwgMjgsfyIHgoe01DK8','0','1','2010-02-13 00:34:42','2010-02-13 00:34:42','0','{}','0000-00-00 00:00:00','0'
 '100','Activate','activate','activate@example.com','b69eafa62e549e5fa875e127fadc3c83:VapLaQZx00iYDRwgMjgsfyIHgoe01DK8','1','1','2010-02-13 00:34:42','0000-00-00 00:00:00','30cc6de70fb18231196a28dd83363d57','{}','0000-00-00 00:00:00','0'
+'101','Empty params','empty-params','empty-params@example.com','b69eafa62e549e5fa875e127fadc3c83:VapLaQZx00iYDRwgMjgsfyIHgoe01DK8','1','1','2010-02-13 00:34:42','0000-00-00 00:00:00','30cc6de70fb18231196a28dd83363d57','','0000-00-00 00:00:00','0'
diff --git a/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/user/JUserTest.php b/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/user/JUserTest.php
index 0194b279b7e44..3c8d843c0291d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/user/JUserTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/user/JUserTest.php
@@ -397,6 +397,11 @@ public function casesLoad()
 				true,
 				false
 			),
+			'empty-params' => array(
+				101,
+				true,
+				false
+			),
 			'existing-but-guest' => array(
 				0,
 				false,