3 files changed, 25 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FONode.java b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FONode.java
index 4f9707c2d..ba7832858 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FONode.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FONode.java
@@ -198,6 +198,15 @@ public abstract class FONode implements Cloneable {
     }
 
     /**
+     * Removes a child node. Used by the child nodes to remove themselves, for
+     * example table-body if it has no children.
+     * @param child child node to be removed
+     */
+    public void removeChild(FONode child) {
+        //nop
+    }
+
+    /**
      * @return the parent node of this node
      */
     public FONode getParent() {
@@ -410,5 +419,6 @@ public abstract class FONode implements Cloneable {
     public int getNameId() {
         return Constants.FO_UNKNOWN_NODE;
     }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FObj.java b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FObj.java
index 87dc3bb1e..b3982bfa5 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FObj.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/FObj.java
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@ public abstract class FObj extends FONode implements Constants {
         }
     }
 
+    /** @see org.apache.fop.fo.FONode#removeChild(org.apache.fop.fo.FONode) */
+    public void removeChild(FONode child) {
+        if (childNodes != null) {
+            childNodes.remove(child);
+        }
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Find the nearest parent, grandparent, etc. FONode that is also an FObj
      * @return FObj the nearest ancestor FONode that is an FObj
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/flow/TableBody.java b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/flow/TableBody.java
index 28c182424..fd3b42341 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/flow/TableBody.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/fop/fo/flow/TableBody.java
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ public class TableBody extends FObj {
      */
     protected void endOfNode() throws FOPException {
         getFOEventHandler().endBody(this);
+        if (childNodes == null || childNodes.size() == 0) {
+            getLogger().error("fo:table-body must not be empty. "
+                    + "Expected: (table-row+|table-cell+)");
+            getParent().removeChild(this);
+        }
         convertCellsToRows();
     }
 
@@ -98,7 +103,9 @@ public class TableBody extends FObj {
      */
     private void convertCellsToRows() throws FOPException {
         try {
-            if (childNodes.size() == 0 || childNodes.get(0) instanceof TableRow) {
+            if (childNodes == null 
+                    || childNodes.size() == 0 
+                    || childNodes.get(0) instanceof TableRow) {
                 return;
             }
             //getLogger().debug("Converting cells to rows...");