diff --git a/ui/pageviewannotator.cpp b/ui/pageviewannotator.cpp
index c85004646..25fe83a93 100644
--- a/ui/pageviewannotator.cpp
+++ b/ui/pageviewannotator.cpp
@@ -460,19 +460,23 @@ class TextSelectorEngine : public AnnotatorEngine
                 {
                     QPoint start( (int)( lastPoint.x * item()->width() ), (int)( lastPoint.y * item()->height() ) );
                     QPoint end( (int)( nX * item()->width() ), (int)( nY * item()->height() ) );
+                    delete selection;
+                    selection = 0;
                     Okular::RegularAreaRect * newselection = m_pageView->textSelectionForItem( item(), start, end );
-                    QList<QRect> geom = newselection->geometry( (int)xScale, (int)yScale );
-                    QRect newrect;
-                    foreach( const QRect& r, geom )
+                    if ( !newselection->isEmpty() )
                     {
-                        if ( newrect.isNull() )
-                            newrect = r;
-                        else
-                            newrect |= r;
+                        QList<QRect> geom = newselection->geometry( (int)xScale, (int)yScale );
+                        QRect newrect;
+                        Q_FOREACH ( const QRect& r, geom )
+                        {
+                            if ( newrect.isNull() )
+                                newrect = r;
+                            else
+                                newrect |= r;
+                        }
+                        rect |= newrect;
+                        selection = newselection;
                     }
-                    rect |= newrect;
-                    delete selection;
-                    selection = newselection;
                 }
             }
             else if ( type == Release && selection )