diff --git a/src/Java.Interop/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignature.cs b/src/Java.Interop/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignature.cs
index e7edb7b07..f409061a4 100644
--- a/src/Java.Interop/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignature.cs
+++ b/src/Java.Interop/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignature.cs
@@ -43,11 +43,13 @@ public      string      Name {
 		public JniTypeSignature (string? simpleReference, int arrayRank = 0, bool keyword = false)
 		{
 			if (simpleReference != null) {
-				if (simpleReference.IndexOf (".", StringComparison.Ordinal) >= 0)
+				if (simpleReference.Length < 1)
+					throw new ArgumentException ("The empty string is not a valid JNI simple reference.", nameof (simpleReference));
+				if (simpleReference.IndexOf ('.') >= 0)
 					throw new ArgumentException ("JNI type names do not contain '.', they use '/'. Are you sure you're using a JNI type name?", nameof (simpleReference));
-				if (simpleReference.StartsWith ("[", StringComparison.Ordinal))
+				if (simpleReference [0] == '[')
 					throw new ArgumentException ("To specify an array, use the ArrayRank property.", nameof (simpleReference));
-				if (simpleReference.StartsWith ("L", StringComparison.Ordinal) && simpleReference.EndsWith (";", StringComparison.Ordinal))
+				if (simpleReference [0] == 'L' && simpleReference [simpleReference.Length-1] == ';' )
 					throw new ArgumentException ("JNI type references are not supported.", nameof (simpleReference));
 			}
 
@@ -105,6 +107,8 @@ public static bool TryParse (string signature, [NotNullWhen (true)] out JniTypeS
 
 			if (signature == null)
 				return new ArgumentNullException (nameof (signature));
+			if (signature.Length < 1)
+				return new ArgumentException ("The empty string is not a valid JNI simple reference.", nameof (signature));
 
 			int i = 0;
 			int r = 0;
diff --git a/tests/Java.Interop-Tests/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignatureTest.cs b/tests/Java.Interop-Tests/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignatureTest.cs
index 4f197111e..32cc66698 100644
--- a/tests/Java.Interop-Tests/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignatureTest.cs
+++ b/tests/Java.Interop-Tests/Java.Interop/JniTypeSignatureTest.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ public void Constructor_Exceptions ()
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => new JniTypeSignature ("java.lang.Object"));
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => new JniTypeSignature ("[[I"));
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => new JniTypeSignature ("Ljava/lang/Object;"));
+			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => new JniTypeSignature (""));
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void DefaultConstructor ()
+		{
+			var t = new JniTypeSignature ();
+			Assert.False (t.IsValid);
 		}
 
 		[Test]
@@ -55,6 +63,7 @@ public void QualifiedReference ()
 		public void Parse ()
 		{
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException> (() => JniTypeSignature.Parse ((string) null));
+			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => JniTypeSignature.Parse (""));
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => JniTypeSignature.Parse ("java.lang.String"));
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => JniTypeSignature.Parse ("Ljava/lang/String;I"));
 			Assert.Throws<ArgumentException> (() => JniTypeSignature.Parse ("ILjava/lang/String;"));
@@ -78,6 +87,12 @@ static void AssertGetJniTypeInfoForJniTypeReference (string jniTypeReference, st
 			Assert.AreEqual (jniTypeName,   sig.SimpleReference,    "JniTypeName for: " + jniTypeReference);
 			Assert.AreEqual (arrayRank,     sig.ArrayRank,          "ArrayRank for: " + jniTypeReference);
 		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void TryParse ()
+		{
+			Assert.False (JniTypeSignature.TryParse ("", out var _));
+		}
 	}
 }