diff --git a/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/PanelGroup.test.tsx b/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/PanelGroup.test.tsx
index abb12ce4..223c65c2 100644
--- a/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/PanelGroup.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/PanelGroup.test.tsx
@@ -418,5 +418,26 @@ describe("PanelGroup", () => {
         ref.current?.setLayout([60, 80]);
       });
     });
+
+    it("should warn about an empty layout", () => {
+      act(() => {
+        root.render(
+          <PanelGroup direction="horizontal" id="group-without-handle">
+            <Panel />
+          </PanelGroup>
+        );
+      });
+
+      // Since the layout is empty, no warning is expected (even though the sizes won't total 100%)
+
+      act(() => {
+        root.render(
+          <PanelGroup
+            direction="horizontal"
+            id="group-without-handle"
+          ></PanelGroup>
+        );
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/utils/validatePanelGroupLayout.ts b/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/utils/validatePanelGroupLayout.ts
index 4f2ee0ee..a2c6e39c 100644
--- a/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/utils/validatePanelGroupLayout.ts
+++ b/packages/react-resizable-panels/src/utils/validatePanelGroupLayout.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ export function validatePanelGroupLayout({
         .map((size) => `${size}%`)
         .join(", ")}`
     );
-  } else if (!fuzzyNumbersEqual(nextLayoutTotalSize, 100)) {
+  } else if (
+    !fuzzyNumbersEqual(nextLayoutTotalSize, 100) &&
+    nextLayout.length > 0
+  ) {
     // This is not ideal so we should warn about it, but it may be recoverable in some cases
     // (especially if the amount is small)
     if (isDevelopment) {