diff --git a/distarray/dist/maps.py b/distarray/dist/maps.py
index 426c1c6d..39f212d7 100644
--- a/distarray/dist/maps.py
+++ b/distarray/dist/maps.py
@@ -519,6 +519,11 @@ def from_dim_data_per_rank(cls, context, dim_data_per_rank, targets=None):
         self.maps = [_map_from_axis_dim_dicts(axis_dim_dicts) for
                      axis_dim_dicts in axis_dim_dicts_per_axis]
 
+        # check for empty localarrays
+        sizes = self.localsizes()
+        if 0 in sizes:
+            raise ValueError("A localarray has zero size")
+
         return self
 
     @classmethod
@@ -567,6 +572,12 @@ def from_shape(cls, context, shape, dist=None, grid_shape=None,
         # List of `ClientMap` objects, one per dimension.
         self.maps = [map_from_sizes(*args)
                      for args in zip(self.shape, self.dist, self.grid_shape)]
+
+        # check for empty localarrays
+        sizes = self.localsizes()
+        if 0 in sizes:
+            raise ValueError("A localarray has zero size")
+
         return self
 
     def __init__(self, context, global_dim_data, targets=None):
@@ -673,6 +684,11 @@ def __init__(self, context, global_dim_data, targets=None):
         nelts = reduce(operator.mul, self.grid_shape, 1)
         self.rank_from_coords = np.arange(nelts).reshape(self.grid_shape)
 
+        # check for empty localarrays
+        sizes = self.localsizes()
+        if 0 in sizes:
+            raise ValueError("A localarray has zero size")
+
     def __getitem__(self, idx):
         return self.maps[idx]
 
@@ -782,3 +798,10 @@ def reduce(self, axes):
 
     def localshapes(self):
         return shapes_from_dim_data_per_rank(self.get_dim_data_per_rank())
+
+    def localsizes(self):
+        lshapes = shapes_from_dim_data_per_rank(self.get_dim_data_per_rank())
+        sizes = []
+        for shape in lshapes:
+            sizes.append(reduce(operator.mul, shape, 1))
+        return tuple(sizes)