diff --git a/ietf-cms/protocol/ber.go b/ietf-cms/protocol/ber.go
index f1bdb7d..c7535d1 100644
--- a/ietf-cms/protocol/ber.go
+++ b/ietf-cms/protocol/ber.go
@@ -206,14 +206,8 @@ func readObject(ber []byte, offset int) (asn1Object, int, error) {
 	} else {
 		var subObjects []asn1Object
 		for (offset < contentEnd) || indefinite {
-			var subObj asn1Object
-			var err error
-			subObj, offset, err = readObject(ber, offset)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, 0, err
-			}
-			subObjects = append(subObjects, subObj)
-
+			// Check for the terminator before reading, since an indefinite
+			// length object may be empty.
 			if indefinite {
 				terminated, err := isIndefiniteTermination(ber, offset)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -224,6 +218,14 @@ func readObject(ber []byte, offset int) (asn1Object, int, error) {
 					break
 				}
 			}
+
+			var subObj asn1Object
+			var err error
+			subObj, offset, err = readObject(ber, offset)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, 0, err
+			}
+			subObjects = append(subObjects, subObj)
 		}
 		obj = asn1Structured{
 			tagBytes: ber[tagStart:tagEnd],
diff --git a/ietf-cms/protocol/ber_test.go b/ietf-cms/protocol/ber_test.go
index accc3b8..4071974 100644
--- a/ietf-cms/protocol/ber_test.go
+++ b/ietf-cms/protocol/ber_test.go
@@ -97,3 +97,25 @@ func TestBer2Der_NestedMultipleIndefinite(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Resulting DER has trailing data: % X", rest)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBer2Der_EmptyIndefinite(t *testing.T) {
+	fixtures := []struct {
+		Name     string
+		Input    []byte
+		Expected []byte
+	}{
+		{"empty sequence", []byte{0x30, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00}, []byte{0x30, 0x00}},
+		{"empty set followed by sibling", []byte{0x30, 0x80, 0x31, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00}, []byte{0x30, 0x05, 0x31, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x01}},
+	}
+
+	for _, fixture := range fixtures {
+		der, err := BER2DER(fixture.Input)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s: ber2der failed with error: %v", fixture.Name, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if !bytes.Equal(der, fixture.Expected) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: ber2der result did not match.\n\tExpected: % X\n\tActual: % X", fixture.Name, fixture.Expected, der)
+		}
+	}
+}