diff --git a/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/database_test.go b/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/database_test.go
index 0b2a342bbb..d2be9882e6 100644
--- a/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/database_test.go
+++ b/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/database_test.go
@@ -722,6 +722,20 @@ func TestPutWithUserSpecialProperty(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, err.Error() == "400 user defined top level properties beginning with '_' are not allowed in document body")
 }
 
+// Unit test for issue #976
+func TestWithNullPropertyKey(t *testing.T) {
+	db := setupTestDB(t)
+	defer tearDownTestDB(t, db)
+
+	// Test creating a document with null property key
+	customDocId := "customIdValue"
+	log.Printf("Create document with empty property key")
+	body := Body{"_id": customDocId, "": "value1"}
+	docid, rev1id, _ := db.Post(body)
+	assert.True(t, rev1id != "")
+	assert.True(t, docid != "")
+}
+
 // Unit test for issue #507
 func TestPostWithUserSpecialProperty(t *testing.T) {
 	db := setupTestDB(t)
diff --git a/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/revision.go b/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/revision.go
index b7e2d84c6e..81f52f21da 100644
--- a/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/revision.go
+++ b/src/github.com/couchbase/sync_gateway/db/revision.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func stripSpecialProperties(body Body) Body {
 
 func containsUserSpecialProperties(body Body) bool {
 	for key, _ := range body {
-		if key[0] == '_' && key != "_id" && key != "_rev" && key != "_deleted" && key != "_attachments" && key != "_revisions" {
+		if key != "" && key[0] == '_' && key != "_id" && key != "_rev" && key != "_deleted" && key != "_attachments" && key != "_revisions" {
 			return true
 		}
 	}