diff --git a/src/helpers/ConfigSerializer.cpp b/src/helpers/ConfigSerializer.cpp
index adff147f4..36aff5ccf 100644
--- a/src/helpers/ConfigSerializer.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/ConfigSerializer.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "ConfigSerializer.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>   // atoi/atol/atof (Arduino.h pulls this in on-device, native builds do not)
 
 bool ConfigSerializer::saveSerial(Stream& s) {
   Context context(&s, OP::WRITE);
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ int ConfigSerializer::Context::readNext() {
     case EXPECT_COMMA_OR_KEY:
       if (c == ',') { rd_mode = EXPECT_KEY; return TOK_WHITESPACE; }
     case EXPECT_KEY:
+      if (rd_len == 0 && c == '}') { rd_mode = EXPECT_COMMA_OR_KEY_OR_CLOSE; return TOK_END_OBJ; }  // empty object, eg. 'custom:{}'
       if (rd_len > 0 && c == ':') { rd_buf[rd_len] = 0; rd_len = 0; rd_mode = EXPECT_VAL_OR_OBJ; return TOK_KEY; }
       if (rd_len == 0 && is_whitespace(c)) return TOK_WHITESPACE;
       if (rd_len < CONFIG_MAX_KEYLEN-1 && is_key_char(c)) { rd_buf[rd_len++] = c; return TOK_WHITESPACE; }
diff --git a/test/test_config_serializer/test_config_serializer.cpp b/test/test_config_serializer/test_config_serializer.cpp
index dec554830..80d5e7808 100644
--- a/test/test_config_serializer/test_config_serializer.cpp
+++ b/test/test_config_serializer/test_config_serializer.cpp
@@ -185,6 +185,47 @@ TEST(ConfigSerializer, LoadSerial_IgnoreUnknowns) {
     EXPECT_TRUE(match);
 }
 
+class TestNested : public ConfigSerializer {
+    class Inner : public ConfigSerializer {
+      protected:
+        void structure() override { }   // no properties, so it writes as '{}'
+    };
+    Inner inner;
+  protected:
+    void structure() override {
+        def("age", age);
+        def("inner", inner);
+        def("name", name, sizeof(name));   // comes *after* the empty sub-object
+    }
+  public:
+    int32_t age;
+    char    name[16];
+};
+
+TEST(ConfigSerializer, LoadSerial_EmptyObject) {
+    MockInputStream s("{age:" TEST_INT_S ",inner:{},name:\"Scott\"}");
+    TestNested data;
+    data.name[0] = 0;
+
+    bool success = data.loadSerial(s);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(success);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(TEST_INT, data.age);
+    bool match = strcmp("Scott", data.name) == 0;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(match);   // properties after an empty object must still load
+}
+
+TEST(ConfigSerializer, LoadSerial_EmptyObjectWithWhitespace) {
+    MockInputStream s("{age:" TEST_INT_S ",inner:{  },name:\"Scott\"}");
+    TestNested data;
+    data.name[0] = 0;
+
+    bool success = data.loadSerial(s);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(success);
+    bool match = strcmp("Scott", data.name) == 0;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(match);
+}
+
 TEST(DynamicConfigSerializer, GetSet_Basic) {
     DynamicConfigSerializer data;