diff --git a/addon/ember-internals.js b/addon/ember-internals.js
index 65d9a9cb..f9f3d88d 100644
--- a/addon/ember-internals.js
+++ b/addon/ember-internals.js
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export var OutletBehavior = {
 
 
   setOutletState: function(state) {
-    if (state.render && state.render.controller && !state._lf_model) {
+    if (state && state.render && state.render.controller && !state._lf_model) {
       // This is a hack to compensate for Ember 1.0's remaining use of
       // mutability within the route state -- the controller is a
       // singleton whose model will keep changing on us. By locking it
diff --git a/tests/integration/helpers/liquid-outlet-test.js b/tests/integration/helpers/liquid-outlet-test.js
index 7c75f93e..4d18f799 100644
--- a/tests/integration/helpers/liquid-outlet-test.js
+++ b/tests/integration/helpers/liquid-outlet-test.js
@@ -110,3 +110,23 @@ QUnit.skip('can see model-to-model transitions on the same route', function(asse
   assert.equal(this.$('.content').text().trim(), '2');
   assert.ok(tmap.transitionFor.called, 'transitionFor called');
 });
+
+test('tolerates empty content when parent outlet is stable', function(assert) {
+  this.render('A{{liquid-outlet}}B');
+
+  var state = {
+    render: {
+      template: Ember.Handlebars.compile('C{{liquid-outlet "a"}}D{{liquid-outlet "b"}}E')
+    },
+    outlets: {}
+  };
+
+  setOutletState(state);
+  assert.equal(this.$().text().trim(), 'ACDEB');
+  state.outlets.a = {
+    render: { template: Ember.Handlebars.compile('foo') },
+    outlets: {}
+  };
+  setOutletState(state);
+  assert.equal(this.$().text().trim(), 'ACfooDEB');
+});