diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video_xml.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video_xml.py
index f2ed730666..081870792c 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video_xml.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video_xml.py
@@ -110,3 +110,14 @@ class VideoModuleLogicTest(LogicTest):
         youtube_str = '1.00:p2Q6BrNhdh8'
         youtube_str_hack = '1.0:p2Q6BrNhdh8'
         self.assertEqual(_parse_youtube(youtube_str), _parse_youtube(youtube_str_hack))
+
+    def test_parse_youtube_empty(self):
+        """
+        Some courses have empty youtube attributes, so we should handle
+        that well.
+        """
+        self.assertEqual(_parse_youtube(''),
+                         {'0.75': '',
+                          '1.00': '',
+                          '1.25': '',
+                          '1.50': ''})
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
index dbb35816db..6344da7994 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ def _parse_youtube(data):
     XML-based courses.
     """
     ret = {'0.75': '', '1.00': '', '1.25': '', '1.50': ''}
+    if data == '':
+        return ret
     videos = data.split(',')
     for video in videos:
         pieces = video.split(':')