diff --git a/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb b/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
index 746f4bd1..a8e1d0a4 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ module Jekyll
     #
     # Returns nothing.
     def read_yaml(base, name, opts = {})
+      filename = File.join(base, name)
+
       begin
         self.content = File.read(site.in_source_dir(base, name),
                                  merged_file_read_opts(opts))
@@ -50,20 +52,31 @@ module Jekyll
           self.data = SafeYAML.load(Regexp.last_match(1))
         end
       rescue SyntaxError => e
-        Jekyll.logger.warn "YAML Exception reading #{File.join(base, name)}: #{e.message}"
+        Jekyll.logger.warn "YAML Exception reading #{filename}: #{e.message}"
       rescue Exception => e
-        Jekyll.logger.warn "Error reading file #{File.join(base, name)}: #{e.message}"
+        Jekyll.logger.warn "Error reading file #{filename}: #{e.message}"
       end
 
       self.data ||= {}
 
-      unless self.data.is_a?(Hash)
-        Jekyll.logger.abort_with "Fatal:", "Invalid YAML front matter in #{File.join(base, name)}"
-      end
+      validate_data! filename
+      validate_permalink! filename
 
       self.data
     end
 
+    def validate_data!(filename)
+      unless self.data.is_a?(Hash)
+        raise Errors::InvalidYAMLFrontMatterError, "Invalid YAML front matter in #{filename}"
+      end
+    end
+
+    def validate_permalink!(filename)
+      if self.data['permalink'] && self.data['permalink'].size == 0
+        raise Errors::InvalidPermalinkError, "Invalid permalink in #{filename}"
+      end
+    end
+
     # Transform the contents based on the content type.
     #
     # Returns the transformed contents.
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/errors.rb b/lib/jekyll/errors.rb
index 2b0dbc0c..36b2643d 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/errors.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ module Jekyll
   module Errors
     FatalException = Class.new(::RuntimeError)
 
-    MissingDependencyException = Class.new(FatalException)
-    DropMutationException      = Class.new(FatalException)
+    DropMutationException       = Class.new(FatalException)
+    InvalidPermalinkError       = Class.new(FatalException)
+    InvalidYAMLFrontMatterError = Class.new(FatalException)
+    MissingDependencyException  = Class.new(FatalException)
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/empty_permalink.erb b/test/fixtures/empty_permalink.erb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6dabf63b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/empty_permalink.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+permalink: ''
+---
+Empty Permalink
diff --git a/test/test_convertible.rb b/test/test_convertible.rb
index 09c69737..524ecdf4 100644
--- a/test/test_convertible.rb
+++ b/test/test_convertible.rb
@@ -49,5 +49,19 @@ class TestConvertible < JekyllUnitTest
       assert_match(/invalid byte sequence in UTF-8/, out)
       assert_match(/#{File.join(@base, name)}/, out)
     end
+
+    should "parse the front-matter but show an error if permalink is empty" do
+      name = 'empty_permalink.erb'
+      assert_raises(Errors::InvalidPermalinkError) do
+        @convertible.read_yaml(@base, name)
+      end
+    end
+
+    should "parse the front-matter correctly whitout permalink" do
+      out = capture_stderr do
+        @convertible.read_yaml(@base, 'front_matter.erb')
+      end
+      refute_match(/Invalid permalink/, out)
+    end
   end
 end