diff --git a/src/TiledArray/expressions/blk_tsr_expr.h b/src/TiledArray/expressions/blk_tsr_expr.h
index 661e2ff666..f35863dc81 100644
--- a/src/TiledArray/expressions/blk_tsr_expr.h
+++ b/src/TiledArray/expressions/blk_tsr_expr.h
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 #include <TiledArray/expressions/unary_expr.h>
 #include "blk_tsr_engine.h"
 
+#include <range/v3/algorithm.hpp>
+#include <range/v3/view.hpp>
+
 #include <optional>
 
 namespace TiledArray {
@@ -313,8 +316,18 @@ class BlkTsrExprBase : public Expr<Derived> {
 
   /// Sets result trange lobound such that the tile lobounds are not changed
   Derived& preserve_lobound() {
-    return set_trange_lobound(
-        array_.trange().make_tile_range(lower_bound()).lobound());
+    // only set lobound if *all* dimensions have non-zero extents
+    const bool empty = ranges::any_of(
+        ranges::views::zip(lower_bound_, upper_bound_), [](auto&& p) {
+          auto [lb, ub] = p;
+          return lb >= ub;
+        });
+
+    if (!empty) {
+      return set_trange_lobound(
+          array_.trange().make_tile_range(lower_bound()).lobound());
+    }
+    return static_cast<Derived&>(*this);
   }
 
   /// @return optional to result trange lobound; if null, the result trange
diff --git a/src/TiledArray/expressions/expr.h b/src/TiledArray/expressions/expr.h
index 3b1e9f43be..2df1709e02 100644
--- a/src/TiledArray/expressions/expr.h
+++ b/src/TiledArray/expressions/expr.h
@@ -518,9 +518,10 @@ class Expr {
     // Move the data from dist_eval into the sub-block of result array.
     // This step may involve communication when the tiles are moved from the
     // sub-block distribution to the array distribution.
-    // N.B. handle the corner case of zero-volume host array, then no data needs
-    // to be moved
-    if (tsr.array().trange().tiles_range().volume() != 0) {
+    // N.B. handle the corner cases of zero-volume host array and zero-volume
+    // block, then no data needs to be moved
+    if (tsr.array().trange().tiles_range().volume() != 0 &&
+        blk_range.volume() != 0) {
       // N.B. must deep copy
       TA_ASSERT(tsr.array().trange().tiles_range().includes(tsr.lower_bound()));
       // N.B. this expression's range,
diff --git a/tests/expressions_impl.h b/tests/expressions_impl.h
index e7c781ccc6..6544b61e79 100644
--- a/tests/expressions_impl.h
+++ b/tests/expressions_impl.h
@@ -3075,6 +3075,53 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE(empty_trange1, F, Fixtures, F) {
   }
 }
 
+// corner case: expressions involving empty blocks
+BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE(empty_block_expressions, F, Fixtures, F) {
+  auto& a = F::a;
+  auto& c = F::c;
+
+  // one of the dimensions has zero extent
+  const auto lb1 = std::array{3, 2, 0};
+  const auto ub1 = std::array{4, 2, 2};
+
+  const int ntiles = F::ntiles;
+  const auto lb2 = std::array{ntiles, 0, 0};
+  const auto ub2 = std::array{ntiles, ntiles, ntiles};
+
+  // preserve_lobound should go through without issues
+  {
+    std::decay_t<decltype(c)> result;
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(result("a,b,c") =
+                             a("a,b,c").block(lb1, ub1, preserve_lobound));
+
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(result.trange().tiles_range().volume(), 0);
+  }
+  {
+    std::decay_t<decltype(c)> result;
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(result("a,b,c") =
+                             a("a,b,c").block(lb2, ub2, preserve_lobound));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(result.trange().tiles_range().volume(), 0);
+  }
+
+  // assignment of empty (zero volume) block
+  {
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(c("a,b,c").block(lb1, ub1) =
+                             a("a,b,c").block(lb1, ub1));
+  }
+  {
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(c("a,b,c").block(lb2, ub2) =
+                             a("a,b,c").block(lb2, ub2));
+  }
+
+  // assignment from empty array
+  {
+    std::decay_t<decltype(c)> z;
+    z("a,b,c") = a("a,b,c").block(lb2, ub2);  // z is a full empty array
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(c("a,b,c").block(lb2, ub2, preserve_lobound) =
+                             z("a,b,c"));
+  }
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
 
 #endif  // TILEDARRAY_TEST_EXPRESSIONS_IMPL_H