diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/formatter/PyTrailingBlankLinesPostFormatProcessor.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/formatter/PyTrailingBlankLinesPostFormatProcessor.java
index c3f475f15905..aad5b31e68cf 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/formatter/PyTrailingBlankLinesPostFormatProcessor.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/formatter/PyTrailingBlankLinesPostFormatProcessor.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class PyTrailingBlankLinesPostFormatProcessor implements PostFormatProces
       }
       documentManager.doPostponedOperationsAndUnblockDocument(document);
       final String text = StringUtil.repeat("\n", numLineFeeds);
-      if (numLineFeeds > 0) {
+      if (numLineFeeds > 0 && whitespaceRange.getStartOffset() != 0) {
         if (!whitespaceRange.isEmpty()) {
           document.replaceString(whitespaceRange.getStartOffset(), whitespaceRange.getEndOffset(), text);
         }
diff --git a/python/testData/formatter/trailingBlankLinesInEmptyFile.py b/python/testData/formatter/trailingBlankLinesInEmptyFile.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/python/testData/formatter/trailingBlankLinesInEmptyFile_after.py b/python/testData/formatter/trailingBlankLinesInEmptyFile_after.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyFormatterTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyFormatterTest.java
index 44a4c5eb3fda..02c62a2113c2 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyFormatterTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyFormatterTest.java
@@ -562,6 +562,11 @@ public class PyFormatterTest extends PyTestCase {
     doTest();
   }
 
+  // PY-11552
+  public void testTrailingBlankLinesInEmptyFile() {
+    doTest();
+  }
+
   // PY-15530
   public void testAlignmentInArgumentListWhereFirstArgumentIsEmptyCall() {
     doTest();