diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_startpos.result b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_startpos.result
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97e1e5f4dbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_startpos.result
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+include/rpl_init.inc [topology=1->2]
+*** Test connecting with empty GTID state to start from very beginning of binlog ***
+include/stop_slave.inc
+RESET MASTER;
+RESET SLAVE;
+RESET MASTER;
+FLUSH LOGS;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = MASTER_PORT,
+MASTER_GTID_POS="";
+include/start_slave.inc
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+a
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+a
+1
+include/stop_slave.inc
+*** Test that master gives error when slave asks for empty gtid pos and binlog files have been purged. ***
+FLUSH LOGS;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (2);
+PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'master-bin.000003';
+show binary logs;
+Log_name	File_size
+master-bin.000003	#
+CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = MASTER_PORT,
+MASTER_GTID_POS="";
+START SLAVE;
+include/wait_for_slave_io_error.inc [errno=1236]
+include/stop_slave.inc
+CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = MASTER_PORT,
+MASTER_LOG_FILE="master-bin.000003", MASTER_LOG_POS=4;
+include/start_slave.inc
+SELECT * FROM t1 ORDER BY a;
+a
+1
+2
+call mtr.add_suppression('Could not find GTID state requested by slave in any binlog files');
+DROP TABLE t1;
+include/rpl_end.inc
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_startpos.test b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_startpos.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2e0855afd16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_startpos.test
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+--source include/have_innodb.inc
+--let $rpl_topology=1->2
+--source include/rpl_init.inc
+
+--echo *** Test connecting with empty GTID state to start from very beginning of binlog ***
+--connection server_2
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
+RESET MASTER;
+RESET SLAVE;
+
+--connection server_1
+RESET MASTER;
+# Create an empty binlog file, to check that empty binlog state is handled correctly.
+FLUSH LOGS;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+--save_master_pos
+
+--connection server_2
+--replace_result $MASTER_MYPORT MASTER_PORT
+eval CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = $MASTER_MYPORT,
+     MASTER_GTID_POS="";
+--source include/start_slave.inc
+--sync_with_master
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+
+--connection server_1
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+--save_master_pos
+
+--connection server_2
+--sync_with_master
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
+
+--echo *** Test that master gives error when slave asks for empty gtid pos and binlog files have been purged. ***
+--connection server_1
+FLUSH LOGS;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (2);
+--save_master_pos
+PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'master-bin.000003';
+--source include/show_binary_logs.inc
+
+--connection server_2
+--replace_result $MASTER_MYPORT MASTER_PORT
+eval CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = $MASTER_MYPORT,
+     MASTER_GTID_POS="";
+START SLAVE;
+--let $slave_io_errno= 1236
+--source include/wait_for_slave_io_error.inc
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
+
+--replace_result $MASTER_MYPORT MASTER_PORT
+eval CHANGE MASTER TO master_host = '127.0.0.1', master_port = $MASTER_MYPORT,
+     MASTER_LOG_FILE="master-bin.000003", MASTER_LOG_POS=4;
+--source include/start_slave.inc
+--sync_with_master
+SELECT * FROM t1 ORDER BY a;
+call mtr.add_suppression('Could not find GTID state requested by slave in any binlog files');
+
+--connection server_1
+DROP TABLE t1;
+
+--source include/rpl_end.inc
diff --git a/sql/log_event.cc b/sql/log_event.cc
index 270454f0051..33f3fb2c368 100644
--- a/sql/log_event.cc
+++ b/sql/log_event.cc
@@ -6579,6 +6579,8 @@ rpl_slave_state::load(THD *thd, char *state_from_master, size_t len,
       return 1;
     truncate_hash();
   }
+  if (state_from_master == end)
+    return 0;
   for (;;)
   {
     rpl_gtid gtid;
@@ -6856,6 +6858,8 @@ slave_connection_state::load(char *slave_request, size_t len)
   my_hash_reset(&hash);
   p= slave_request;
   end= slave_request + len;
+  if (p == end)
+    return 0;
   for (;;)
   {
     if (!(rec= (uchar *)my_malloc(sizeof(*gtid), MYF(MY_WME))))
diff --git a/sql/sql_repl.cc b/sql/sql_repl.cc
index d9f4c1f0b0e..db4153becdf 100644
--- a/sql/sql_repl.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_repl.cc
@@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ void mysql_binlog_send(THD* thd, char* log_ident, my_off_t pos,
     }
     if ((errmsg= gtid_find_binlog_file(&gtid_state, search_file_name)))
     {
-      my_errno= ER_UNKNOWN_ERROR;
+      my_errno= ER_MASTER_FATAL_ERROR_READING_BINLOG;
       goto err;
     }
     pos= 4;