diff --git a/src/cc65/declare.c b/src/cc65/declare.c
index b6620785f..96e1f1074 100644
--- a/src/cc65/declare.c
+++ b/src/cc65/declare.c
@@ -1220,11 +1220,6 @@ NextMember: if (CurTok.Tok != TOK_COMMA) {
         Flags |= SC_FICTITIOUS;
     }
 
-    /* Empty union is not supported now */
-    if (UnionSize == 0) {
-        Error ("Empty union type '%s' is not supported", Name);
-    }
-
     /* Make a real entry from the forward decl and return it */
     return AddStructSym (Name, SC_UNION | SC_DEF | Flags, UnionSize, FieldTab, DSFlags);
 }
@@ -1471,11 +1466,6 @@ NextMember: if (CurTok.Tok != TOK_COMMA) {
         Flags |= SC_FICTITIOUS;
     }
 
-    /* Empty struct is not supported now */
-    if (StructSize == 0) {
-        Error ("Empty struct type '%s' is not supported", Name);
-    }
-
     /* Make a real entry from the forward decl and return it */
     return AddStructSym (Name, SC_STRUCT | SC_DEF | Flags, StructSize, FieldTab, DSFlags);
 }
diff --git a/src/cc65/symtab.c b/src/cc65/symtab.c
index 86a92a019..1b5c1e0b5 100644
--- a/src/cc65/symtab.c
+++ b/src/cc65/symtab.c
@@ -919,14 +919,8 @@ SymEntry* AddStructSym (const char* Name, unsigned Flags, unsigned Size, SymTabl
     /* SCType must be struct or union */
     PRECONDITION (SCType == SC_STRUCT || SCType == SC_UNION);
 
-    if ((Flags & SC_FICTITIOUS) == 0) {
-        /* Do we have an entry with this name already? */
-        TagEntry = FindSymInTable (CurTagTab, Name, HashStr (Name));
-    } else {
-        /* Add a fictitious symbol in the fail-safe table */
-        TagEntry = 0;
-        CurTagTab = FailSafeTab;
-    }
+    /* Do we have an entry with this name already? */
+    TagEntry = FindSymInTable (CurTagTab, Name, HashStr (Name));
 
     if (TagEntry) {
 
@@ -954,6 +948,15 @@ SymEntry* AddStructSym (const char* Name, unsigned Flags, unsigned Size, SymTabl
                 if (DSFlags != 0) {
                     *DSFlags |= DS_NEW_TYPE_DEF;
                 }
+
+                if ((Flags & SC_FICTITIOUS) == SC_FICTITIOUS) {
+                    /* Add a fictitious symbol in the fail-safe table */
+                    TagEntry = 0;
+                } else if (Size == 0) {
+                    /* Empty struct is not supported now */
+                    Error ("Empty %s type '%s' is not supported", SCType == SC_STRUCT ? "struct" : "union", Name);
+                    TagEntry = 0;
+                }
             }
         }