diff --git a/modules/calib3d/test/test_stereomatching.cpp b/modules/calib3d/test/test_stereomatching.cpp
index 601e0cb93b..c79f013ea5 100644
--- a/modules/calib3d/test/test_stereomatching.cpp
+++ b/modules/calib3d/test/test_stereomatching.cpp
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ int CV_StereoMatchingTest::processStereoMatchingResults( FileStorage& fs, int ca
     assert( fs.isOpened() );
     assert( trueLeftDisp.type() == CV_32FC1 );
     assert( trueRightDisp.empty() || trueRightDisp.type() == CV_32FC1 );
-    assert( leftDisp.type() == CV_32FC1 && rightDisp.type() == CV_32FC1 );
+    assert( leftDisp.type() == CV_32FC1 && (rightDisp.empty() || rightDisp.type() == CV_32FC1) );
 
     // get masks for unknown ground truth disparity values
     Mat leftUnknMask, rightUnknMask;
diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.inl.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.inl.hpp
index a0c43f1534..98346f1bc0 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.inl.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.inl.hpp
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ Mat_<_Tp>& Mat_<_Tp>::operator = (const Mat& m)
     {
         return (*this = m.reshape(DataType<_Tp>::channels, m.dims, 0));
     }
-    CV_DbgAssert(DataType<_Tp>::channels == m.channels());
+    CV_Assert(DataType<_Tp>::channels == m.channels() || m.empty());
     m.convertTo(*this, type());
     return *this;
 }
diff --git a/modules/core/src/arithm.cpp b/modules/core/src/arithm.cpp
index 10f739c0c1..dbbe6895ed 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/arithm.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/arithm.cpp
@@ -1233,6 +1233,12 @@ void cv::compare(InputArray _src1, InputArray _src2, OutputArray _dst, int op)
     CV_Assert( op == CMP_LT || op == CMP_LE || op == CMP_EQ ||
                op == CMP_NE || op == CMP_GE || op == CMP_GT );
 
+    if(_src1.empty() && _src2.empty())
+    {
+        _dst.release();
+        return;
+    }
+
     bool haveScalar = false;
 
     if ((_src1.isMatx() + _src2.isMatx()) == 1
diff --git a/modules/core/src/convert.cpp b/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
index 0fb1199987..481b86b4f1 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
@@ -1304,6 +1304,12 @@ void cv::Mat::convertTo(OutputArray _dst, int _type, double alpha, double beta)
 {
     CV_INSTRUMENT_REGION()
 
+    if( empty() )
+    {
+        _dst.release();
+        return;
+    }
+
     bool noScale = fabs(alpha-1) < DBL_EPSILON && fabs(beta) < DBL_EPSILON;
 
     if( _type < 0 )
diff --git a/modules/core/src/copy.cpp b/modules/core/src/copy.cpp
index f4f18cb740..5e7f4a879a 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/copy.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/copy.cpp
@@ -246,13 +246,14 @@ void Mat::copyTo( OutputArray _dst ) const
         return;
     }
 
+    if( empty() )
+    {
+        _dst.release();
+        return;
+    }
+
     if( _dst.isUMat() )
     {
-        if( empty() )
-        {
-            _dst.release();
-            return;
-        }
         _dst.create( dims, size.p, type() );
         UMat dst = _dst.getUMat();
         CV_Assert(dst.u != NULL);
diff --git a/modules/features2d/src/agast.cpp b/modules/features2d/src/agast.cpp
index ab01b67805..8b63234b29 100644
--- a/modules/features2d/src/agast.cpp
+++ b/modules/features2d/src/agast.cpp
@@ -7952,6 +7952,12 @@ public:
     {
         CV_INSTRUMENT_REGION()
 
+        if(_image.empty())
+        {
+            keypoints.clear();
+            return;
+        }
+
         Mat mask = _mask.getMat(), grayImage;
         UMat ugrayImage;
         _InputArray gray = _image;
diff --git a/modules/features2d/src/fast.cpp b/modules/features2d/src/fast.cpp
index 106e5802cd..e34fa8f9d0 100644
--- a/modules/features2d/src/fast.cpp
+++ b/modules/features2d/src/fast.cpp
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ public:
     {
         CV_INSTRUMENT_REGION()
 
+        if(_image.empty())
+        {
+            keypoints.clear();
+            return;
+        }
+
         Mat mask = _mask.getMat(), grayImage;
         UMat ugrayImage;
         _InputArray gray = _image;
diff --git a/modules/features2d/src/gftt.cpp b/modules/features2d/src/gftt.cpp
index 1b8010625b..e4a594a5c6 100644
--- a/modules/features2d/src/gftt.cpp
+++ b/modules/features2d/src/gftt.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ public:
     {
         CV_INSTRUMENT_REGION()
 
+        if(_image.empty())
+        {
+            keypoints.clear();
+            return;
+        }
+
         std::vector<Point2f> corners;
 
         if (_image.isUMat())
diff --git a/modules/imgproc/src/hough.cpp b/modules/imgproc/src/hough.cpp
index ec05edf888..1f61146193 100644
--- a/modules/imgproc/src/hough.cpp
+++ b/modules/imgproc/src/hough.cpp
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ static bool ocl_HoughLines(InputArray _src, OutputArray _lines, double rho, doub
     int total_points = counters.getMat(ACCESS_READ).at<int>(0, 0);
     if (total_points <= 0)
     {
-        _lines.assign(UMat(0,0,CV_32FC2));
+        _lines.release();
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ static bool ocl_HoughLines(InputArray _src, OutputArray _lines, double rho, doub
     if (total_lines > 0)
         _lines.assign(lines.rowRange(Range(0, total_lines)));
     else
-        _lines.assign(UMat(0,0,CV_32FC2));
+        _lines.release();
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ static bool ocl_HoughLinesP(InputArray _src, OutputArray _lines, double rho, dou
     int total_points = counters.getMat(ACCESS_READ).at<int>(0, 0);
     if (total_points <= 0)
     {
-        _lines.assign(UMat(0,0,CV_32SC4));
+        _lines.release();
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ static bool ocl_HoughLinesP(InputArray _src, OutputArray _lines, double rho, dou
     if (total_lines > 0)
         _lines.assign(lines.rowRange(Range(0, total_lines)));
     else
-        _lines.assign(UMat(0,0,CV_32SC4));
+        _lines.release();
 
     return true;
 }