diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
index 7706ef506..f61ba6487 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ sub viewTemplateVariables {
         push @{$var->{story_loop}}, $storyVars;
     }
 
-    if ($self->{_standAlone}) {
+    if ($self->{_standAlone} and @$storyIds) {
         my $topStoryData = $storyIds->[0];
         shift @{ $var->{story_loop} };
         ##Note, this could have saved from the loop above, but this looks more clean and encapsulated to me.
diff --git a/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t b/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
index f1fd0936a..564e326f4 100644
--- a/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
+++ b/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
 
-plan tests => 19;
+plan tests => 20;
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # put your tests here
@@ -357,3 +357,19 @@ cmp_deeply(
     'viewTemplateVars has right number and contents in the story_loop in sort order Alphabetically mode'
 );
 
+################################################################
+# Regression -- Empty StoryTopics shouldn't blow up
+################################################################
+
+my $emptyarchive    = WebGUI::Asset->getDefault($session)->addChild({
+    className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::StoryTopic', 
+    title => 'Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People', 
+    url => '/home/badstories', 
+    keywords => 'aksjhgkja asgjhshs assajshhsg5',
+});
+addToCleanup($emptyarchive); # blows up under the debugger...?
+
+$versionTag->commit;
+$emptyarchive->{_standAlone} = 1;  
+ok(eval { $emptyarchive->viewTemplateVariables() }, "viewTemplateVariables with _standAlone = 1 doesn't throw an error");
+