diff --git a/ets2panda/checker/ets/helpers.cpp b/ets2panda/checker/ets/helpers.cpp
index 2886671c989d4f0d8643fb1342d05fcf55b6b392..a24de4f2e3e2d1cc1ec86e85d95b7a2f90b5b599 100644
--- a/ets2panda/checker/ets/helpers.cpp
+++ b/ets2panda/checker/ets/helpers.cpp
@@ -694,6 +694,12 @@ bool ETSChecker::CheckInit(ir::Identifier *ident, ir::TypeNode *typeAnnotation,
 {
     if (typeAnnotation == nullptr) {
         if (init->IsArrayExpression()) {
+            auto arrayExpr = init->AsArrayExpression();
+            if (arrayExpr->Elements().empty()) {
+                LogError(diagnostic::CANNOT_INFER_OBJ_LIT, {ident->Name()}, ident->Start());
+                return false;
+            }
+
             annotationType = CheckArrayElements(init->AsArrayExpression());
         } else if (init->IsETSNewArrayInstanceExpression()) {
             annotationType = init->AsETSNewArrayInstanceExpression()->TypeReference()->GetType(this);