diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d188f5d1..105544ef 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ NEWS
   * [core] setrlimit max-fds <= rlim_max for non-root (fixes #2723)
   * [mod_ssi] config ssi.conditional-requests
   * [mod_ssi] config ssi.exec (fixes #2051)
+  * [mod_redirect,mod_rewrite] short-circuit if blank replacement (fixes #2085)
 
 - 1.4.39 - 2016-01-02
   * [core] fix memset_s call (fixes #2698)
diff --git a/src/mod_redirect.c b/src/mod_redirect.c
index 5e99dcb5..e0ee5bae 100644
--- a/src/mod_redirect.c
+++ b/src/mod_redirect.c
@@ -209,6 +209,10 @@ static handler_t mod_redirect_uri_handler(server *srv, connection *con, void *p_
 						"execution error while matching: ", n);
 				return HANDLER_ERROR;
 			}
+		} else if (0 == pattern_len) {
+			/* short-circuit if blank replacement pattern
+			 * (do not attempt to match against remaining redirect rules) */
+			return HANDLER_GO_ON;
 		} else {
 			const char **list;
 			size_t start;
diff --git a/src/mod_rewrite.c b/src/mod_rewrite.c
index fac6c49f..faa7f841 100644
--- a/src/mod_rewrite.c
+++ b/src/mod_rewrite.c
@@ -383,6 +383,10 @@ static handler_t process_rewrite_rules(server *srv, connection *con, plugin_data
 						"execution error while matching: ", n);
 				return HANDLER_ERROR;
 			}
+		} else if (0 == pattern_len) {
+			/* short-circuit if blank replacement pattern
+			 * (do not attempt to match against remaining rewrite rules) */
+			return HANDLER_GO_ON;
 		} else {
 			const char **list;
 			size_t start;