diff --git a/regex-syntax/src/ast/mod.rs b/regex-syntax/src/ast/mod.rs
index f4f732ec37..884fcfa35c 100644
--- a/regex-syntax/src/ast/mod.rs
+++ b/regex-syntax/src/ast/mod.rs
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ pub enum ErrorKind {
     /// An opening `{` was found with no corresponding closing `}`.
     RepetitionCountUnclosed,
     /// A repetition operator was applied to a missing sub-expression. This
-    /// occurs, for example, in the regex consisting of just a `*`. It is,
-    /// however, possible to create a repetition operating on an empty
-    /// sub-expression. For example, `()*` is still considered valid.
+    /// occurs, for example, in the regex consisting of just a `*` or even
+    /// `(?i)*`. It is, however, possible to create a repetition operating on
+    /// an empty sub-expression. For example, `()*` is still considered valid.
     RepetitionMissing,
     /// When octal support is disabled, this error is produced when an octal
     /// escape is used. The octal escape is assumed to be an invocation of
diff --git a/regex-syntax/src/ast/parse.rs b/regex-syntax/src/ast/parse.rs
index 8d11f7c49b..171dd660ae 100644
--- a/regex-syntax/src/ast/parse.rs
+++ b/regex-syntax/src/ast/parse.rs
@@ -1051,6 +1051,13 @@ impl<'s, P: Borrow<Parser>> ParserI<'s, P> {
                 ast::ErrorKind::RepetitionMissing,
             )),
         };
+        match ast {
+            Ast::Empty(_) | Ast::Flags(_) => return Err(self.error(
+                self.span(),
+                ast::ErrorKind::RepetitionMissing,
+            )),
+            _ => {}
+        }
         let mut greedy = true;
         if self.bump() && self.char() == '?' {
             greedy = false;
@@ -2942,6 +2949,12 @@ bar
                 span: span(0..0),
                 kind: ast::ErrorKind::RepetitionMissing,
             });
+        assert_eq!(
+            parser(r"(?i)*").parse().unwrap_err(),
+            TestError {
+                span: span(4..4),
+                kind: ast::ErrorKind::RepetitionMissing,
+            });
         assert_eq!(
             parser(r"(*)").parse().unwrap_err(),
             TestError {
diff --git a/regex-syntax/src/hir/translate.rs b/regex-syntax/src/hir/translate.rs
index d6a668b05e..dac85c082e 100644
--- a/regex-syntax/src/hir/translate.rs
+++ b/regex-syntax/src/hir/translate.rs
@@ -349,7 +349,9 @@ impl<'t, 'p> Visitor for TranslatorI<'t, 'p> {
             Ast::Concat(_) => {
                 let mut exprs = vec![];
                 while let Some(HirFrame::Expr(expr)) = self.pop() {
-                    exprs.push(expr);
+                    if !expr.kind().is_empty() {
+                        exprs.push(expr);
+                    }
                 }
                 exprs.reverse();
                 self.push(HirFrame::Expr(Hir::concat(exprs)));