diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+aeson-diff 1.1.1.15
+
+    * Allow empty json keys in pointer syntaxAllow empty json keys in pointer syntax
+      https://github.com/clintonmead/aeson-diff/pull/14
+
 aeson-diff 1.1.0.14
 
     * Fix pointer application after json roundtrip
diff --git a/aeson-diff.cabal b/aeson-diff.cabal
--- a/aeson-diff.cabal
+++ b/aeson-diff.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                aeson-diff
-version:             1.1.0.14
+version:             1.1.0.15
 synopsis:            Extract and apply patches to JSON documents.
 description:
   .
diff --git a/lib/Data/Aeson/Pointer.hs b/lib/Data/Aeson/Pointer.hs
--- a/lib/Data/Aeson/Pointer.hs
+++ b/lib/Data/Aeson/Pointer.hs
@@ -121,8 +121,10 @@
       let l = T.split (== '~') t
       in T.concat $ take 1 l <> fmap step (tail l)
     key t
-      | T.null t         = fail "JSON components must not be empty."
-      | T.all isNumber t = return (AKey (read $ T.unpack t))
+      | not (T.null t) && T.all isNumber t = return (AKey (read $ T.unpack t))
+      -- Note: The empty string is a valid json key and may appear in a pointer as
+      -- in <http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6901> the grammar for reference-token says
+      -- `reference-token = *( unescaped / escaped )`
       | otherwise        = return . OKey . fromText $ unesc t
 
 instance ToJSON Pointer where