diff --git a/deepspec/data/jsonl_dataset.py b/deepspec/data/jsonl_dataset.py
index 65e11ec4..05f0219a 100644
--- a/deepspec/data/jsonl_dataset.py
+++ b/deepspec/data/jsonl_dataset.py
@@ -101,21 +101,22 @@ def _build_all_line_starts(self):
                     self.num_data_per_file.append(len(starts))
                     continue
 
-            handle = open(path, "rb")
-            mm = mmap.mmap(handle.fileno(), 0, access=mmap.ACCESS_READ)
-            self.files[idx] = handle
-            self.mmaps[idx] = mm
             starts = []
-            mm.seek(0)
-            pos = 0
-            while True:
-                starts.append(pos)
-                line = mm.readline()
-                if not line:
-                    break
-                pos = mm.tell()
-            if starts and mm.size() == pos:
-                starts.pop()
+            if os.path.getsize(path) > 0:
+                handle = open(path, "rb")
+                mm = mmap.mmap(handle.fileno(), 0, access=mmap.ACCESS_READ)
+                self.files[idx] = handle
+                self.mmaps[idx] = mm
+                mm.seek(0)
+                pos = 0
+                while True:
+                    starts.append(pos)
+                    line = mm.readline()
+                    if not line:
+                        break
+                    pos = mm.tell()
+                if starts and mm.size() == pos:
+                    starts.pop()
             self.line_starts_per_file[idx] = starts
             self.num_data_per_file.append(len(starts))
             if cache_path is not None:
diff --git a/tests/test_jsonl_dataset.py b/tests/test_jsonl_dataset.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a51e935
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_jsonl_dataset.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import importlib.util
+import json
+import sys
+import types
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def _load_jsonl_dataset_module(monkeypatch, cache_dir: Path):
+    class Dataset:
+        pass
+
+    torch = types.ModuleType("torch")
+    torch.utils = types.SimpleNamespace(data=types.SimpleNamespace(Dataset=Dataset))
+    constants = types.ModuleType("deepspec.utils.constant")
+    constants.CACHE_DIR = str(cache_dir)
+    tqdm_module = types.ModuleType("tqdm")
+    tqdm_module.tqdm = lambda iterable, **_kwargs: iterable
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "torch", torch)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "deepspec", types.ModuleType("deepspec"))
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "deepspec.utils", types.ModuleType("deepspec.utils"))
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "deepspec.utils.constant", constants)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "tqdm", tqdm_module)
+
+    module_path = Path(__file__).parents[1] / "deepspec" / "data" / "jsonl_dataset.py"
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("jsonl_dataset_under_test", module_path)
+    assert spec is not None and spec.loader is not None
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+def test_jsonl_dataset_skips_empty_shards(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    module = _load_jsonl_dataset_module(monkeypatch, tmp_path / "cache")
+    empty_path = tmp_path / "empty.jsonl"
+    data_path = tmp_path / "data.jsonl"
+    empty_path.write_bytes(b"")
+    rows = [{"id": 1}, {"id": 2}]
+    data_path.write_text("".join(json.dumps(row) + "\n" for row in rows), encoding="utf-8")
+
+    dataset = module.JsonLineDataset([data_path, empty_path])
+
+    assert len(dataset) == 2
+    assert [dataset[index] for index in range(len(dataset))] == rows
+    assert dataset.num_data_per_file == [2, 0]
+    dataset.close()
+
+    cached_dataset = module.JsonLineDataset([data_path, empty_path])
+
+    assert len(cached_dataset) == 2
+    assert cached_dataset.num_data_per_file == [2, 0]
+    cached_dataset.close()
+
+
+def test_jsonl_dataset_accepts_only_empty_shards(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    module = _load_jsonl_dataset_module(monkeypatch, tmp_path / "cache")
+    paths = [tmp_path / "empty-1.jsonl", tmp_path / "empty-2.jsonl"]
+    for path in paths:
+        path.write_bytes(b"")
+
+    dataset = module.JsonLineDataset(paths)
+
+    assert len(dataset) == 0
+    assert dataset.num_data_per_file == [0, 0]
+    dataset.close()