diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
index 6d253fd684..16cc8e8b17 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AbstractDaemonTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.NoHttpd;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.PushOneCommit;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestProjectInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.LabelType;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.Permission;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.changes.AddReviewerInput;
@@ -130,6 +131,26 @@ public class ChangeIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
         .revert();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  @TestProjectInput(createEmptyCommit = false)
+  public void revertInitialCommit() throws Exception {
+    PushOneCommit.Result r = createChange();
+    gApi.changes()
+        .id(r.getChangeId())
+        .revision(r.getCommit().name())
+        .review(ReviewInput.approve());
+    gApi.changes()
+        .id(r.getChangeId())
+        .revision(r.getCommit().name())
+        .submit();
+
+    exception.expect(ResourceConflictException.class);
+    exception.expectMessage("Cannot revert initial commit");
+    gApi.changes()
+        .id(r.getChangeId())
+        .revert();
+  }
+
   // Change is already up to date
   @Test(expected = ResourceConflictException.class)
   public void rebase() throws Exception {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/ChangeUtil.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/ChangeUtil.java
index 1c4b77f13c..2652d4813c 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/ChangeUtil.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/ChangeUtil.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.Ordering;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.TimeUtil;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Change;
@@ -226,6 +227,10 @@ public class ChangeUtil {
       PersonIdent authorIdent = user.get()
           .newCommitterIdent(myIdent.getWhen(), myIdent.getTimeZone());
 
+      if (commitToRevert.getParentCount() == 0) {
+        throw new ResourceConflictException("Cannot revert initial commit");
+      }
+
       RevCommit parentToCommitToRevert = commitToRevert.getParent(0);
       revWalk.parseHeaders(parentToCommitToRevert);