diff --git a/nashorn/src/jdk/nashorn/tools/Shell.java b/nashorn/src/jdk/nashorn/tools/Shell.java
index 2dcf190c79..3c284faea4 100644
--- a/nashorn/src/jdk/nashorn/tools/Shell.java
+++ b/nashorn/src/jdk/nashorn/tools/Shell.java
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public class Shell {
                 } catch (IOException ioe) {
                     // ignore
                 }
-                if (l.startsWith("#!")) {
+                if (l != null && l.startsWith("#!")) {
                     shebangFilePos = i;
                 }
                 // We're only checking the first non-option argument. If it's not a shebang file, we're in normal
diff --git a/nashorn/test/script/nosecurity/JDK-8193137.js b/nashorn/test/script/nosecurity/JDK-8193137.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c88fcebc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nashorn/test/script/nosecurity/JDK-8193137.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2017, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
+ * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
+ * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * JDK-8193137 : Nashorn crashes when given an empty script file.
+ *
+ * @test
+ * @option -scripting
+ * @run
+ */
+
+if (typeof fail != 'function') {
+    fail = print;
+}
+
+var System = java.lang.System;
+var File = java.io.File;
+var javahome = System.getProperty("java.home");
+var nashornJar = new File(System.getProperty("nashorn.jar"));
+if (! nashornJar.isAbsolute()) {
+    nashornJar = new File(".", nashornJar);
+}
+
+// we want to use nashorn.jar passed and not the one that comes with JRE
+var jjsCmd = javahome + "/../bin/jjs";
+jjsCmd = jjsCmd.toString().replace(/\//g, File.separator);
+if (! new File(jjsCmd).isFile()) {
+    jjsCmd = javahome + "/bin/jjs";
+    jjsCmd = jjsCmd.toString().replace(/\//g, File.separator);
+}
+
+$ENV.PWD=System.getProperty("user.dir")
+
+var emptyFile = new File($ENV.PWD+File.separator+"empty.js");
+emptyFile.createNewFile();
+emptyFile.deleteOnExit();
+
+$EXEC(jjsCmd + " empty.js");
+if($ERR != "")
+    fail("jjs fails with empty script file");