diff --git a/block/opal_proto.h b/block/opal_proto.h
index b486b3ec7dc4..a50191bddbc2 100644
--- a/block/opal_proto.h
+++ b/block/opal_proto.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ enum opal_response_token {
 #define SHORT_ATOM_BYTE  0xBF
 #define MEDIUM_ATOM_BYTE 0xDF
 #define LONG_ATOM_BYTE   0xE3
+#define EMPTY_ATOM_BYTE  0xFF
 
 #define OPAL_INVAL_PARAM 12
 #define OPAL_MANUFACTURED_INACTIVE 0x08
diff --git a/block/sed-opal.c b/block/sed-opal.c
index 0ac5a4f3f226..00e4d23ac49e 100644
--- a/block/sed-opal.c
+++ b/block/sed-opal.c
@@ -895,16 +895,20 @@ static int response_parse(const u8 *buf, size_t length,
 			token_length = response_parse_medium(iter, pos);
 		else if (pos[0] <= LONG_ATOM_BYTE) /* long atom */
 			token_length = response_parse_long(iter, pos);
+		else if (pos[0] == EMPTY_ATOM_BYTE) /* empty atom */
+			token_length = 1;
 		else /* TOKEN */
 			token_length = response_parse_token(iter, pos);
 
 		if (token_length < 0)
 			return token_length;
 
+		if (pos[0] != EMPTY_ATOM_BYTE)
+			num_entries++;
+
 		pos += token_length;
 		total -= token_length;
 		iter++;
-		num_entries++;
 	}
 
 	resp->num = num_entries;