diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 623618ebb..a23c69735 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
     if (params[:q][0] == 35 || params[:q][0] == '#') && params[:q].length > 1
       redirect_to tag_path(:name => params[:q].gsub(/[#\.]/, ''), :q => params[:q])
       return
+    elsif (params[:q][0] == 35 || params[:q][0] == '#') && params[:q].length == 1
+      flash[:error] = I18n.t('tags.show.none', :name => params[:q])
+      redirect_to :back
     end
 
     limit = params[:limit] ? params[:limit].to_i : 15
diff --git a/app/controllers/tag_followings_controller.rb b/app/controllers/tag_followings_controller.rb
index 84c2766b3..4a98720fb 100644
--- a/app/controllers/tag_followings_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/tag_followings_controller.rb
@@ -15,13 +15,18 @@ class TagFollowingsController < ApplicationController
   # POST /tag_followings.xml
   def create
     name_normalized = ActsAsTaggableOn::Tag.normalize(params['name'])
-    @tag = ActsAsTaggableOn::Tag.find_or_create_by_name(name_normalized)
-    @tag_following = current_user.tag_followings.new(:tag_id => @tag.id)
-
-    if @tag_following.save
-      flash[:notice] = I18n.t('tag_followings.create.success', :name => name_normalized)
+    
+    if name_normalized.nil? || name_normalized.empty?
+      flash[:error] = I18n.t('tag_followings.create.none')
     else
-      flash[:error] = I18n.t('tag_followings.create.failure', :name => name_normalized)
+      @tag = ActsAsTaggableOn::Tag.find_or_create_by_name(name_normalized)
+      @tag_following = current_user.tag_followings.new(:tag_id => @tag.id)
+
+      if @tag_following.save
+        flash[:notice] = I18n.t('tag_followings.create.success', :name => name_normalized)
+      else
+        flash[:error] = I18n.t('tag_followings.create.failure', :name => name_normalized)
+      end
     end
 
     redirect_to :back
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index e30553236..56f027747 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -848,10 +848,12 @@ en:
       following: "Following #%{tag}"
       stop_following: "Stop Following #%{tag}"
       followed_by: 'followed by'
+      none: "The empty tag does not exist!"
   tag_followings:
     create:
       success: "Hooray!  You're now following #%{name}."
       failure: "Failed to follow #%{name}.  Are you already following it?"
+      none: "You cannot follow a blank tag!"
     destroy:
       success: "Alas! You aren't following #%{name} anymore."
       failure: "Failed to stop following #%{name}. Maybe you already stopped following it?"
diff --git a/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
index 62305276a..9a646cd66 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ describe PeopleController do
       get :index, :q => '#babi.es'
       response.should redirect_to(tag_path('babies', :q => '#babi.es'))
     end
+    
+    it 'stay on the page if you search for the empty hash' do
+      get :index, :q => '#'
+      flash[:error].should be_present
+    end
   end
 
   describe '#tag_index' do