diff --git a/mockredis/client.py b/mockredis/client.py
index e67edbc..bcfcb18 100644
--- a/mockredis/client.py
+++ b/mockredis/client.py
@@ -539,6 +539,8 @@ def hlen(self, hashkey):
 
     def hmset(self, hashkey, value):
         """Emulate hmset."""
+        if len(value) == 0:
+            raise ResponseError("empty mapping passed to 'hmset'")
 
         redis_hash = self._get_hash(hashkey, 'HMSET', create=True)
         for key, value in value.items():
diff --git a/mockredis/tests/test_hash.py b/mockredis/tests/test_hash.py
index 8ecce36..0b772fd 100644
--- a/mockredis/tests/test_hash.py
+++ b/mockredis/tests/test_hash.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from nose.tools import eq_, ok_
 
-from mockredis.tests.fixtures import setup, teardown
+from mockredis.tests.fixtures import raises_response_error, setup, teardown
 
 
 class TestRedisHash(object):
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ def test_hmset(self):
         eq_(b"value1", self.redis.hget(hashkey, "key1"))
         eq_(b"value2", self.redis.hget(hashkey, "key2"))
 
+    @raises_response_error
+    def test_hmset_empty(self):
+        self.redis.hmset("hash", {})
+
     def test_hmset_integral(self):
         hashkey = "hash"
         self.redis.hmset(hashkey, {1: 2, 3: 4})