diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/nonblocking.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/nonblocking.hpp
index 6275b519..fd24e36f 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/nonblocking.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/nonblocking.hpp
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ namespace boost { namespace mpi {
  *
  *  @returns A pair containing the status object that corresponds to
  *  the completed operation and the iterator referencing the completed
- *  request.
+ *  request. If there are no active handles (distance(first, last) == 0,
+ *  all requests already done or null requests), returns an empty
+ *  status and iterator "last".
  */
 template<typename ForwardIterator>
 std::pair<status, ForwardIterator> 
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ wait_any(ForwardIterator first, ForwardIterator last)
 
   bool all_trivial_requests = true;
   difference_type n = 0;
+  bool has_outstanding_request = false;
   ForwardIterator current = first;
   while (true) {
     // Check if we have found a completed request. If so, return it.
@@ -63,6 +66,8 @@ wait_any(ForwardIterator first, ForwardIterator last)
       optional<status> result = current->test();
       if (bool(result)) {
         return std::make_pair(*result, current);
+      } else {
+        has_outstanding_request = true;
       }
     }
     
@@ -93,16 +98,18 @@ wait_any(ForwardIterator first, ForwardIterator last)
         BOOST_MPI_CHECK_RESULT(MPI_Waitany, 
                                (n, detail::c_data(requests), &index, &stat.m_status));
 
-        // We don't have a notion of empty requests or status objects,
-        // so this is an error.
+        // No active handles
         if (index == MPI_UNDEFINED)
-          boost::throw_exception(exception("MPI_Waitany", MPI_ERR_REQUEST));
+          return std::make_pair(stat, last);
 
         // Find the iterator corresponding to the completed request.
         current = first;
         advance(current, index);
         *current->trivial() = requests[index];
         return std::make_pair(stat, current);
+      } else if (!has_outstanding_request) {
+        // No active handles
+        return std::make_pair(status{}, last);
       }
 
       // There are some nontrivial requests, so we must continue our
@@ -110,6 +117,7 @@ wait_any(ForwardIterator first, ForwardIterator last)
       n = 0;
       current = first;
       all_trivial_requests = true;
+      has_outstanding_request = false;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/Jamfile.v2 b/test/Jamfile.v2
index 634c61f1..e5896f17 100644
--- a/test/Jamfile.v2
+++ b/test/Jamfile.v2
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ test-suite mpi
   [ mpi-test ring_test : : : 2 3 4 7 8 13 17 ]
   [ mpi-test sendrecv_test : : : 1 4 7 48 ]
   [ mpi-test wait_any_test : : : 1 4 7 20 ]
+  [ mpi-test wait_any_on_null : : : 1 2 ]
   [ mpi-test wait_all_vector_test : : : 2 ]
   [ mpi-test wait_all_on_null : : : 1 2 ]
   [ mpi-test scan_test  ]
diff --git a/test/wait_any_on_null.cpp b/test/wait_any_on_null.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8bc81742
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/wait_any_on_null.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2021 Steffen Hirschmann
+
+// Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software
+// License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+#include <boost/mpi.hpp>
+#include <boost/mpi/nonblocking.hpp>
+#include <vector>
+
+#define BOOST_TEST_NO_MAIN
+#define BOOST_TEST_ALTERNATIVE_INIT_API
+#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE mpi_wait_on_null
+#include <boost/test/included/unit_test.hpp>
+
+/** Check default constructed requests.
+ * Must not deadlock.
+ */
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(wait_any_default_constructed_request)
+{
+  std::vector<boost::mpi::request> req(1);
+  boost::mpi::status s;
+  decltype(req)::iterator it;
+  std::tie(s, it) = boost::mpi::wait_any(req.begin(), req.end());
+  BOOST_CHECK(it == req.end());
+}
+
+/** Check a trivial request twice.
+ */
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(wait_any_all_trivial_and_done)
+{
+  boost::mpi::communicator comm;
+  std::vector<boost::mpi::request> req;
+  int dummy1 = 1, dummy2 = 0;
+
+  req.push_back(comm.irecv(comm.rank(), 0, dummy2));
+  comm.isend(comm.rank(), 0, dummy1);
+
+  boost::mpi::status s;
+  decltype(req)::iterator it;
+  // All trivial requests
+  std::tie(s, it) = boost::mpi::wait_any(req.begin(), req.end());
+  BOOST_CHECK(it != req.end());
+  BOOST_CHECK(it == req.begin());
+  BOOST_CHECK(s.count<int>());
+  BOOST_CHECK(*s.count<int>() == 1);
+
+  // Call a second time
+  std::tie(s, it) = boost::mpi::wait_any(req.begin(), req.end());
+  BOOST_CHECK(it == req.end());
+  BOOST_CHECK(s.count<int>());
+  // empty status according to MPI 3.1 §3.7.3, l.39 (p. 52)
+  BOOST_CHECK(*s.count<int>() == 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK(!s.cancelled());
+  BOOST_CHECK(s.source() == MPI_ANY_SOURCE);
+  BOOST_CHECK(s.tag() == MPI_ANY_TAG);
+  BOOST_CHECK(s.error() == MPI_SUCCESS);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    boost::mpi::environment env(argc, argv);
+    return boost::unit_test::unit_test_main(init_unit_test, argc, argv);
+}