--- mtools-4.0.35/config.c	2021-07-23 12:11:13.000000000 +0200
+++ mtools-4.0.35/config.c	2021-09-08 11:47:32.994496537 +0200
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 unsigned int mtools_twenty_four_hour_clock=1;
 unsigned int mtools_lock_timeout=30;
 unsigned int mtools_default_codepage=850;
+unsigned int mtools_permit_empty=0;
 const char *mtools_date_string="yyyy-mm-dd";
 char *country_string=0;
 
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@
     { "MTOOLS_DATE_STRING",
       (caddr_t) &mtools_date_string, T_STRING },
     { "MTOOLS_LOCK_TIMEOUT", (caddr_t) &mtools_lock_timeout, T_UINT },
+    { "MTOOLS_PERMIT_EMPTY", (caddr_t) &mtools_permit_empty, T_UINT },
     { "DEFAULT_CODEPAGE", (caddr_t) &mtools_default_codepage, T_UINT }
 };
 
--- mtools-4.0.35/mdir.c	2021-07-23 12:11:15.000000000 +0200
+++ mtools-4.0.35/mdir.c	2021-09-08 11:57:59.183942279 +0200
@@ -494,7 +494,10 @@
 	subMp.dirCallback = list_file;
 	subMp.callback = list_file;
 
-	ret = mp->loop(mp->File, &subMp, "*");
+	if (mtools_permit_empty)
+		ret = mp->loop(mp->File, &subMp, "*") | GOT_ONE;
+	else
+		ret = mp->loop(mp->File, &subMp, "*");
 
 	/* then list subdirectories */
 	subMp = *mp;
--- mtools-4.0.35/mtools.h	2021-07-23 12:11:13.000000000 +0200
+++ mtools-4.0.35/mtools.h	2021-09-08 11:47:34.594501129 +0200
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@
 extern unsigned int mtools_dotted_dir;
 extern unsigned int mtools_lock_timeout;
 extern unsigned int mtools_twenty_four_hour_clock;
+extern unsigned int mtools_permit_empty;
 extern const char *mtools_date_string;
 extern uint8_t mtools_rate_0, mtools_rate_any;
 extern unsigned int mtools_default_codepage;