diff --git a/src/config_file.cpp b/src/config_file.cpp
index d58652370..7cd18acdf 100644
--- a/src/config_file.cpp
+++ b/src/config_file.cpp
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
                 // Handle section name
                 if (*s.begin() == '[' && *s.rbegin() == ']') {
                     m_prefix = s.substr(1, s.size()-2);
+                    if (m_prefix.empty())
+                        boost::throw_exception(invalid_config_file_syntax(s, invalid_syntax::unrecognized_line));
                     if (*m_prefix.rbegin() != '.')
                         m_prefix += '.';
                 }
diff --git a/test/parsers_test.cpp b/test/parsers_test.cpp
index 7eaaaebc5..6c62ef944 100644
--- a/test/parsers_test.cpp
+++ b/test/parsers_test.cpp
@@ -298,6 +298,11 @@ void test_config_file(const char* config_file)
     check_value(a2[4], "m1.v1", "1");
     check_value(a2[5], "m1.v2", "2");
     check_value(a2[6], "m1.v3", "3");
+
+    // Test that an empty section header [] is rejected as invalid syntax (issue #156)
+    const char content_empty_section[] = "gv1 = 0\n[]\nv1 = 1\n";
+    stringstream ss_empty(content_empty_section);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(parse_config_file(ss_empty, desc), invalid_config_file_syntax);
 }
 
 #if defined(__CYGWIN__)