diff --git a/command/kv_put.go b/command/kv_put.go
index 98c70b00c5..c03cf4f49b 100644
--- a/command/kv_put.go
+++ b/command/kv_put.go
@@ -236,6 +236,11 @@ func (c *KVPutCommand) dataFromArgs(args []string) (string, string, error) {
 	key := args[0]
 	data := args[1]
 
+	// Handle empty quoted shell parameters
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return key, "", nil
+	}
+
 	switch data[0] {
 	case '@':
 		data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(data[1:])
diff --git a/command/kv_put_test.go b/command/kv_put_test.go
index 3735652c80..f691719b15 100644
--- a/command/kv_put_test.go
+++ b/command/kv_put_test.go
@@ -101,6 +101,34 @@ func TestKVPutCommand_Run(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestKVPutCommand_RunEmptyDataQuoted(t *testing.T) {
+	srv, client := testAgentWithAPIClient(t)
+	defer srv.Shutdown()
+	waitForLeader(t, srv.httpAddr)
+
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &KVPutCommand{Ui: ui}
+
+	args := []string{
+		"-http-addr=" + srv.httpAddr,
+		"foo", "",
+	}
+
+	code := c.Run(args)
+	if code != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %d. %#v", code, ui.ErrorWriter.String())
+	}
+
+	data, _, err := client.KV().Get("foo", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if data.Value != nil {
+		t.Errorf("bad: %#v", data.Value)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestKVPutCommand_RunBase64(t *testing.T) {
 	srv, client := testAgentWithAPIClient(t)
 	defer srv.Shutdown()