diff --git a/porcupine/plugins/trailing_newline.py b/porcupine/plugins/trailing_newline.py
index bdbc1103d..da9509738 100644
--- a/porcupine/plugins/trailing_newline.py
+++ b/porcupine/plugins/trailing_newline.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 def on_save(event: tkinter.Event[tabs.FileTab]) -> None:
     if event.widget.settings.get("insert_final_newline", bool):
         textwidget = event.widget.textwidget
-        if textwidget.get("end - 2 chars", "end - 1 char") != "\n":
+        char = textwidget.get("end - 2 chars", "end - 1 char")
+        if char and char != "\n":
             # doesn't end with a \n yet, be sure not to annoyingly move the
             # cursor like IDLE does
             cursor = textwidget.index("insert")
diff --git a/tests/test_trailing_newline_plugin.py b/tests/test_trailing_newline_plugin.py
index 29178583b..bd9cc5746 100644
--- a/tests/test_trailing_newline_plugin.py
+++ b/tests/test_trailing_newline_plugin.py
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 def test_trailing_newline(filetab, tmp_path):
     filetab.path = tmp_path / "foo.py"
+
+    assert filetab.textwidget.get("1.0", "end") == "\n"
+    filetab.save()
+    assert filetab.textwidget.get("1.0", "end") == "\n"
+    assert (tmp_path / "foo.py").read_text() == ""
+
     filetab.textwidget.insert("1.0", "hello")
     assert filetab.textwidget.get("1.0", "end - 1 char") == "hello"