diff --git a/builtins.go b/builtins.go
index 1703f06c..57bd2175 100644
--- a/builtins.go
+++ b/builtins.go
@@ -1588,6 +1588,9 @@ func builtinParseYAML(i *interpreter, str value) (value, error) {
 		elems = append(elems, elem)
 	}
 
+	if len(elems) == 0 {
+		return &nullValue, nil
+	}
 	if d.IsStream() {
 		return jsonToValue(i, elems)
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.golden b/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19765bd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+null
diff --git a/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.jsonnet b/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.jsonnet
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2c3d290a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.jsonnet
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.parseYaml("")
diff --git a/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.linter.golden b/testdata/builtin_parseYaml_empty.linter.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b